Journey of Legends
by livezinshadowz
Summary: Ash is challenged by a mysterious woman to go on a quest and capture the Legendary Pokemon of each region, but unbeknownst to him, there's an evil conspiracy lurking in the background, interfering with his goal. Follow Ash, Misty, and Brock as they travel through the regions to try and complete this journey. Pokeshipping
1. Prologue: The Challenge

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Pokémon_ or any of the rights associated with it.

Pokémon legend holds that the Spear Pillar, atop Mt. Coronet in the Sinnoh region, was the entrance point for Palkia and Dialga, masters of space and time, into the human world. As a result, researchers have explored the Spear Pillar, hoping to upturn evidence that this was true, but have had no luck in finding anything to prove this story. Over time, they gave up, believing Pokémon such as Dialga and Palkia to be legends, fairytales to tell children as bedtime stories.

However, there is a certain ring of truth to these rumors.

While there is no obvious portal transcending the space-time continuum, the Spear Pillar contains the weakest point in the space between worlds (not that the humans knew that). However, only the most powerful Pokémon would be able to recognize the weak point, let alone break through to the other side. This is where the story begins…

A shadow, seemingly from nowhere, flitted over the Spear Pillar, settling around one of the spiked rock formations that littered the site. It moved around the legendary site in an agitated manner, before shooting upwards and disappearing amidst a brief spark of purple lightning.

The world on the other side of the Spear Pillar was somewhat formless. The entire dimension – for that was the only way to describe this other world – was a mixture of purple-black that bulged and sparked purple lightning intermittently. The shadow – sensing no light – reformed into its true form, becoming a dark wraith upon the boundless dimension, its blue eyes glinting strangely in the darkness. The figure paused briefly, as if listening to something, before taking off to its right with great haste.

After several minutes, the dark figure slowed to a halt and bowed respectfully as a large, imposing figure seemed to materialize out of the darkness. Though none of its features could be seen, the new figure emanated a strength that surpassed all others; it nodded its head, and the dark wraith straightened up. _It is time_ spoke the powerful figure telepathically. _You shall go now, while the Chosen One sleeps, and deliver our challenge to him. You will stay here to report back to me when you're done_

The shadowy figure closed its blue eyes and inclined its head slightly in confirmation of this command. Then, eyes still closed, it relaxed its whole body and evened out its breathing, slipping into a sort of meditative position. The other figure melded back into the shadows from whence it came, with but a thought. _Now all we have to do is wait_, it thought.

-l-l-l-

If asked, Ash Ketchum would say that he currently led a good life.

At the age of 17, he had competed in the Sinnoh League Conference, and made Top 4, his Buizel losing to a feisty Gallade in the semi-finals match. He had bid goodbye to Dawn, promising to keep in touch, and headed home to Pallet Town, while Brock went back to his home in Pewter City. After two weeks home, Ash had concluded that, despite his goal to be a Pokémon Master, he was still rather naïve and – dare he say it – _stupid _about the ways of his non-human friends; so he resolved to fix that. The next day, he had gone to Professor Oak and asked to assist around the lab; the older man had been thrilled (it never felt like there were enough hands-on-deck with just himself and Tracey), and had accepted the offer immediately.

The next two years had been rather insightful for Ash. He didn't spend much time actually _studying_ the Pokémon, but instead _connected_ with them on a level that he had never attained when only traveling and battling with them throughout his previous years on the road. He got closer to his older Pokémon friends (Bayleef had been particularly happy to see him), and had learned how to understand his team, as well as how to interact with and care for wild Pokémon. And of course, he had also trained his team, practicing with them and honing their skills, as well as his own, with his newfound knowledge.

At the end of this two-year period, 19-year-old Ash had re-set off on his journey, heading to Pewter City with a team consisting of Pikachu (naturally), Grotle, Bayleef, Totodile, Swellow, and Corphish. He had gone straight to the Pewter Gym and faced and defeated Brock – acting as temporary Gym Leader – using Grotle and Bayleef. They had then chatted, catching up on the times, before Ash elaborated on his second reason for coming (the first being the Boulder Badge): to ask Brock to accompany him on a new journey, just like old times. The breeder had immediately agreed, and they had departed to Cerulean City the next day, leaving Brock's father Flint in charge of the gym.

He went through much the same situation with Misty at the Cerulean City Gym as he had with Brock: a bit of banter to catch up, the challenge for the Cascade Badge (which had been interesting. Ash had wanted to test his water Pokémon against Misty's, and so used Corphish and Totodile against Misty's Staryu and Corsola, ultimately winning when he had to bring out Pikachu to battle Gyarados), and then the proposition to come with them. She too had eagerly agreed, leaving her eldest sibling Daisy in charge of the gym with the warning to not just _give_ away badges like she had in the past.

And so, with his two friends by his side, Ash re-travelled throughout the Kanto region, meeting up with old friends, camping in the outdoors, and bickering playfully with Misty. Brock and Misty followed Ash to the remaining gyms, cheering him on from the sidelines as he handily won the Thunder, Rainbow, Marsh, Soul, Volcano, and Earth Badges, using tactics and knowledge that he hadn't possessed nearly a decade ago.

At the age of 20, Ash fought (again) in the Pokémon League Competition, making it to the finals and winning a challenging fight against his opponent (of course, it helped that this time around, Charizard actually listened to him). With Misty and Brock on the sidelines (and his mother, Professor Oak, Tracey, and Gary in the stands) cheering him on, Ash went on to fight the prestigious members of the Elite Four.

Prima and Bruno, the Ice and Fighting Masters, respectively, had been relatively easy (as easy as fighting the _elite_ can be). Prima had been knocked out with the use of Charizard, Pikachu, and Torkoal, while Sceptile, Swellow, and Donphan had defeated Bruno. Agatha, the Ghost Mistress, had been a bit trickier, but Ash had managed to win with the strategic use of his Noctowl's Foresight attack. Lance had been the most difficult; it had taken a good deal of luck and strategy to beat the Dragon Master, and in the end, it came down to Pikachu wearing down Dragonite after the latter had already been injured by Ash's Glalie.

The moment Dragonite collapsed to the floor, utterly spent, Ash almost broke down and cried.

His dream, ten years in the making, had finally been realized: he was a Pokémon Master. His friends and family had run up to him and congratulated him, and he had looked to Misty, his oldest and best friend, for her reaction; she smiled broadly at him, and for a moment, he thought he had seen something else, _something deeper_, shining in her eyes, but then he blinked and it was gone.

His childhood goal finally achieved, Ash _declined_ the position of League Champ (much to the surprise of everyone present), instead saying, "I would much rather continue on to new and different things rather than continue to fight as the Champion and remain stagnant in my position." The Elite Four had taken this news with a series of smiles, saying that it was his decision to make, and that they understood completely; he would, however, receive a monthly stipend for achieving such a prestigious position and title, regardless of the fact that he declined to stay.

Later that evening, before going to bed, Ash had spoken to Brock in private (Misty was sharing a room with Ash's mother) in their room in the Pokémon Center. Without preamble, Ash had told his older friend, "I'm sure you're wondering why I didn't accept the League Champion position."

Brock had nodded. "I'll admit the thought did cross my mind. It seemed a bit unlike you."

Ash had returned Brock's nod with one of his own. He took a deep breath before explaining his reasoning. "I…want to become a Pokémon Researcher, like Professor Oak and Gary. Battling is great and all, but…I want to keep my options open for my future. I don't know if I'll be able to do that while being the Champion simultaneously. It's too heavy a responsibility, and I don't know if I can handle it."

He took another deep breath before continuing. "I'm going to accept Scott's offer to become a Frontier Brain. That'll allow me to still battle, but I won't be confined by it, and I'll be able to do research on the side. I know that you still want to be a Pokémon Breeder, so I was wondering if…if you'd like to work with me." The last part had been said in a rush, and Brock hadn't yet wrapped his head around the offer before Ash had rambled, "I mean, I completely understand if you don't want to, but I figured that with all the Pokémon in the area, and since we've been traveling companions and friends for years, that maybe we could have a sort of bachelor pad, at least until one or both of us settle down, you know?"

Brock had asked Ash if he was serious, and Ash had replied with a small grin and a sheepish, "Dead serious." The former had laughed, before agreeing and thanking Ash profusely for the opportunity (the younger man had waved it off and just said that it was payback for all Brock had done for him in the past).

The next several months had been rather busy for the two friends. They had moved to a small, deserted island off the coast of Pallet Town (it was deserted of people, but not Pokémon), on the way to Cinnabar Island. Ash had taken all of his Pokémon from Professor Oak, and Brock had retrieved all of his from Pewter, and both released them upon the island, letting them roam around and find their niches.

The island itself was a gift from nature, in the two trainers' opinions. A large clearing was located about a mile from the north shore of the island, surrounded on opposite sides by a forest. The third side – the one closest to the shore – possessed a small stream that drained into the ocean and ended in a rather large freshwater lake about half a mile behind the clearing. The fourth side – behind the clearing – was a vast stretch of land that could best be described as a savannah – short grass and sparse trees. Eventually, the terrain became rougher, large areas of dirt and rocks replacing the grassy savannah; this served as a habitat for several of Brock's Rock-types. Beyond that, jagged spires of rock jutted up from the ground (several of them hundreds of feet high), where the high altitude allowed for some Ice- and Flying-types to make their home; caverns (closer to the base) and caves speckled these mountains, providing a dwelling for some Dark-, Ghost-, and Ground-type Pokémon. Opposite the mountains, on the island's southeast shore, lay a dormant volcano and several natural hot springs, where the heat and humidity allowed for Fire Pokémon to roam. Overall, the island was roughly circular, with a radius about 20 miles across, leaving plenty of room for the two humans, their Pokémon, and all the wild ones already on the island.

This had given Ash his idea for a field of research to study: the effects of the habitat and terrain on the growth and battling talents of Pokémon, as well as how they were affected by human companionship. Also, thanks to some of his more exciting adventures, he decided to dabble slightly in the field of researching the proclaimed Legendary Pokémon of each region. As for being a Frontier Brain, Ash had modeled his battle format on that of the preliminary rounds of the Kanto Conference. He titled his realm the Battle Island, and utilized the different habitats present on the island in order to battle; if they won, his opponents received the Strategy Symbol.

It had taken a bit of time to make the island habitable to people. The process had been long and arduous, but with the help of their Pokémon (including some _very_ welcome assistance from Ash's Charizard and Brock's Steelix), a couple of buildings had been constructed in the clearing, from which Ash and Brock made their base of operations. The lab was the main building, and acted as both a research facility and living quarters. The two men each had their own bedroom and bathroom, and the lab also held a kitchen, living room, and guest room with an adjoining bathroom. A staircase led down to the basement, where much of Ash's and Brock's data and information (as well as Pokéballs) were kept, and there was another staircase that went up to an attic, which served as a loft for many different varieties of bird Pokémon. A smaller building was attached to the main building for Brock's use in his breeding.

Perhaps the biggest surprise for the duo had occurred six months after their arrival on the island. Ash and Brock had been eating breakfast when a knock on the front door echoed around the house. The two had looked at each other before getting up to see who was there. Their surprise had been paramount when the visitors had been revealed to be Jessie, James, and Meowth, the Team Rocket members who had continuously followed Ash throughout his childhood journeys. Both boys had immediately tensed, expecting a battle, and were surprised when none came.

Apparently, after 10 years of stalking "the twerps", and failing to complete their objective, the Team Rocket members had given up and quit. Since there had been moments when they had worked _with_ Ash instead of against him, they had decided to try that again, and had come asking to work under Ash as his assistants. Ash and Brock had excused themselves to discuss the matter, and had ultimately relented to give the ex-Rockets a chance, which they had eagerly taken.

Of course, the two men were wary of the ex-Rockets at first, but over time – and with no attempts to nab Pikachu or any of the other Pokémon – they had relaxed, and eventually become friends with Jessie, James, and Meowth. Four years later saw Ash Ketchum thoroughly enjoying his new life, surrounded by people and Pokémon he could proudly call friends. He battled casually with Brock every once in a while, and even with Jessie and James (the former of which had focused on Poison-type Pokémon, and the latter [despite prior misgivings] with an attraction to the Grass-type) to help raise their Pokémon up.

And now, 25-year-old Ash Ketchum…was sleeping.

It had been early in the morning when, while researching the Legendary Beasts – Suicune, Entei, and Raikou – he had fallen asleep from exhaustion. The Frontier Brain still possessed unruly black hair, cut somewhat shorter than when he had traveled in his childhood. He wore a white lab coat (which fell to his knees) over a pair of tan khakis and a forest green shirt. Ash twitched slightly in his sleep, a frown of confusion marring his young face as his dream of a certain red-headed Gym Leader disappeared to be replaced by another woman.

Ash looked around his dream, noting that despite the pitch-black space he was floating in, he could still see perfectly fine. The woman in front of him had shoulder-length white hair, which provided a stark contrast to her dark skin. Sky blue eyes were set in her face, and she wore a blood red robe that covered her entire body, save her feet, which were bare. He eyed her warily before asking, in a confused voice reminiscent of his childhood, "What's going on here?"

The woman in front of him merely inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment of his question. "Chosen One," she began, and Ash had an immediate inclination to run, knowing that the use of 'Chosen One' was never a good omen. "As you may or may not have hypothesized per your research, the Legendary Pokémon of the world tend to discuss current affairs every so often, in order to try and maintain balance in the world."

"So, the world is out of balance again, and you need me to help restore that balance," Ash interrupted. "What do I have to do this time? And while we're at it, who _are_ you?"

The woman gave a brief chuckle in response. "Relax, Chosen One, nothing so extreme. To answer your other question however, you may call me Rai. Back to business though; I have called upon you in order to issue you a challenge, presented by the legendaries themselves."

Ash felt his blood heat up as the familiar thrill of a challenge arose. "What's the challenge?" he asked excitedly, regressing back to his 10-year-old self.

"You are being allowed the opportunity to capture the Legendary Pokémon of each region," Rai recited, as it reading it off of a scroll.

The Chosen One was, for lack of a better word, thunderstruck. _He_ was being offered the chance to _capture_ the legendaries of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. The research he could accomplish by being able to study such Pokémon up close would be amazing! The possibilities raced through Ash's mind before questions began to arise, slowly his euphoria. "Wait…why me? Why am I so special that I get this challenge? Also, you said the legendaries are needed to keep balance. Isn't there only one of each type of Legendary Pokémon? Wouldn't I be taking them away from their positions?"

This time, Rai really did laugh, her mystical voice echoing strangely in the strange void. "Tell me Ash, how many Articuno have you seen throughout your adventures?" She paused as he thought about it. "You have seen several, correct? Only certain legendaries, like Mewtwo, are the only one of their species, and they will be able to oversee the world regardless of ownership or location.

"As for why you were chosen…well, that's a rather basic explanation. You are a good individual at heart. You treat your Pokémon as friends, with the utmost care, and have yet to do anything innately wrong or evil on purpose. Do not misunderstand me…you are not perfect; nobody is. However, you try your best and attempt to fight injustice. You gave Jessie and James, Team Rocket members who did nothing but hound you for nearly a decade, a second chance, and now look at where they are! _That_ is why you are granted this opportunity. The legendaries do not fear you misusing their power, but instead anticipate that you will treat them with the same kindness and attention that you show the rest of your Pokémon friends."

Ash was silent as he took this information in. Provided that he wasn't taking the legendaries from their rightful place (and after the confirmation that he wasn't, he felt better), the challenge seemed very well set. But…"I have a question. Can I bring Brock and Misty with me on my journey? I prefer to travel with them by my side."

Rai smiled lightly. "There is no reason that you cannot bring them with you. However, there are rules that you must follow for this challenge. Are you listening carefully?" Upon Ash's nod, she continued, "First of all, your friends will not be allowed to help you capture the Legendary Pokémon; it is all on your shoulders. Secondly, you will only be allowed to use six of your own Pokémon per battle. The legendaries are well aware that as a researcher you may carry more than six, and this is allowed; however, only six may be used per battle," she reiterated. "Third, you will abide by any rules whatever Legendary you face sets forth. It may vary for each one you face, though will most likely be a standard battle for the majority of them. And lastly, the Legendaries do not care to fight one another; do not use a captured Legendary against one you are attempting to catch in battle.

"That is all the rules that you must abide by. Do you have any other questions?"

"Actually, I do," Ash admitted. "How do I know the location of all of the Legendary Pokémon? And what if some of them require some specification to reach them?"

The woman gave him a skeptical look. "You have researched this field for years. There are legends which speak of the locations of the legendaries, not to mention requirements to find them, assuming there are any. Base your assumptions off of these. If you are stumped, I will serve as your guide, but only in times of need, or if I deem such intervention necessary for the continuation of your quest. Does this sound fair?" Upon Ash's nod, she continued, "Very well. Then your journey shall begin. Start in Kanto with the Elemental Birds, and continue from there, going through regions in the order of your original journey. Good luck."

"Wait!" called Ash. "How do you know all of this?"

Rai smirked slightly. "All in good time," was the vague reply. With that, Rai disappeared.

In the real world, Ash Ketchum awoke with a start and scratched his head as he processed everything he'd just been told. "I guess I've got to gather the gang," he commented with a grin.

-l-l-l-

Back in the alternate dimension, the shadowy figure opened its eyes, sky blue color staring straight ahead into the darkness. Almost as if summoned, the powerful figure from before stepped forward from the spot where the smaller figure had been staring. _Has the challenge been accepted? _boomed the bigger figure telepathically.

_Yes_ the other figure responded wearily.

_Very well; then we shall wait until our time comes. You have done well, and I thank you for your services. Rest here for now; I am sure your abilities will come in handy later, Darkrai_

The shadowy figure, Darkrai, nodded wearily. _Thank you, Arceus_ he mumbled feebly, and then promptly fell asleep. Arceus merely nodded in return, before melding back into the darkness of the void.

-l-l-l-

**Author's Notes:** Welcome to the beginning of this lengthy Pokémon tale! I hope you all enjoyed the prologue.

A couple things to note: This will contain Pokeshipping…I fully support the couple and was really disappointed that it was just left hanging in the show. It'll be a little slow to develop, but it'll be there throughout the story.

Also, about the Elite Four and Master status…I decided to make each battle a 3 v 3, spaced out over several days. That way, Ash gets time to recover and choose his team wisely. Even if it puts him at a potential type-advantage, he's fighting the _Elite Four_. They can handle it.

I'll try to address any other concerns as they pop up, or in the next chapter. Thanks for the support guys!


	2. Gathering the Troops

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Pokémon._

-l-l-l-

**Day 1**

Ash immediately ran up to the loft after his conversation with Rai and asked the birds there (mostly Pidgey and Wingull, as well as his own Noctowl, Swellow, and Staraptor) to go search out his other Pokémon and tell them to gather for a meeting in the clearing. Then he called Lisa, caretaker of the Charicific Valley, and spoke with Charizard about joining him on this quest. The fire dragon had been thrilled and roared his approval; Lisa had tied his Pokéball to his neck and sent him off to Ash.

Half an hour later, Ash had showered and re-dressed (wearing tan khakis, a dark blue shirt, and his white lab coat), and was downstairs in the kitchen, cooking up breakfast for himself and Brock. At that moment Brock walked in, rubbing his eyes sleepily, and took a seat at the table. "Mornin' Ash," he managed around a yawn.

"Morning Brock," returned the Frontier Brain. "I hope you slept well. Eat up." Ash shoved a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Brock and set one down by his seat, immediately digging into his own meal. Brock quirked an eyebrow at how quickly he was eating but said nothing, choosing instead to pick up his fork and take a slow bite of his breakfast.

Five minutes later, Ash's fork hit his plate with a loud clatter, and the younger man grabbed the breeder's arm and began to drag him out of his seat. "Ash! I'm still eating!" protested Brock.

"Bring it with you then! I've got an announcement to make, and you need to be there!"

Brock had only a brief moment to wonder what the announcement was, and why Ash was dragging him to the door before he was outside in the morning sunlight. He looked around, noting that the majority of Ash's Pokémon were gathered in front of the lab, near the forest; both Sceptile and Snorlax were reclining against separate, sturdy trees, and Heracross was nursing his back (having already tried to steal nectar from Bulbasaur and received a Vine Whip for his trouble). There were several approaching shapes in the distance, and Brock squinted to get a better view of them.

From the mountainous region of the island flew Ash's Gliscor, with the tip of his tail held loosely by Glalie's mouth. Horizontal to them flew back Noctowl, Swellow, and Staraptor (trailing slightly behind), all with passengers: Infernape held onto Noctowl's feet, Quilava rode on Swellow's back, and Staraptor gripped the edges of Torkoal's shell with his talons. The birds set down their cargo in the clearing after another ten minutes and then found roosts amongst the tree on Torterra's shell. Ash waited until Pikachu had taken a head-count and turned to give a thumbs-up before addressing his gathered audience.

"So, the reason I've called everyone here is because I've been invited to take on a quest of epic proportions." Ash paused, ignoring Brock's puzzled expression, and waited until the gauntlet of reactions from his Pokémon (some were excited, others just curious) had settled down. He took a deep breath and said, "I have been challenged to capture the Legendary Pokémon of each region." Dead silence filled the clearing for a minute as this new information was processed.

Brock was the first to react; his eyes appeared to bulge out of his head in a comical fashion. "WHAT?"

Ash turned to face his friend. "I know; I couldn't believe it either. But that's what I was told. I asked if you could come along, and you can, provided I don't use any of your Pokémon. So, you in?"

Brock smirked back at his friend. "You wouldn't be able to survive without me there. I'm in."

Ash nodded before turning back to his Pokémon. "So, you guys in?" A moment passed before Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder with a cry, followed by the calls of agreement by the rest of his companions. "Alright then! We'll go start packing; you guys stay in the general area. Oh, and let me know when Charizard gets here." Pikachu saluted smartly before leaping off his trainer's shoulder and joining his companions on the ground.

Brock heaved an exasperated sigh as Ash fairly ran back to their house. "There's never a dull moment when Ash Ketchum is your companion," he commented to no one in particular, a slight smile on his lips.

-l-l-l-

Half an hour later found Brock leaning against the door to Ash's room, watching as his younger friend dug through piles of clothes and research for whatever he needed. Brock cleared his throat and Ash looked up, surprise plastered clearly on his face. "How are you done packing already?" he cried dramatically, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"Easy," replied Brock with a smirk. "I keep everything organized and neat in the event something like this would happen. Not to mention that it's not a _bad_ thing to know where everything is."

"Ha ha, very funny," quipped Ash sarcastically as he shoved a bunch of clothes into his traveling pack. A tapping sound on the window interrupted the conversation, and both men turned to see Noctowl pecking his beak against the glass. "Charizard here?" Ash asked the bird, his voice raised slightly. Noctowl hooted in response and then flew back down to ground level. Ash turned around, shouldered his pack, and shot Brock a grin. "C'mon, let's go."

The breeder picked his own traveling pack up off the floor and followed Ash out of the house. "It's great that we're off Ash, but where are we going?"

"We're off to pick up a couple of old friends," was the vague reply. As Brock pondered this, Ash ran up to Charizard and greeted his friend, dodging a burst of flame from the dragon's mouth. Charizard roared in mock anger as Ash proceeded to taunt him in jest about his aim. The teasing was quickly stifled as Charizard burned him and then proceeded to tackle his trainer to the ground with a victorious roar.

Brock watched this exchange, shaking his head in wonder the whole time. Whatever Ash was – oblivious, directionally-challenged, and a bit impulsive – he definitely knew how to handle his Pokémon.

The breeder was pulled from his thoughts as Ash walked up to him and said, "Alright, Charizard's going to give us a lift to where we're going. You got everything?"

"Yep. Pokéballs are all here, and I told Jessie and James that we'll be gone for an indeterminate period of time, but to call us if anything comes up. You, however, appear to still be forgetting something."

Ash quirked an eyebrow in response. "Oh really? I'll have you know I remembered _everything_, yes, even clean underwear. So pray tell, what am I missing?" Brock pointed behind him and Ash colored slightly as he realized what Brock was referring to. "…Oh, right. The Pokémon." He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Whoops."

"Are you sure you want to bring all of them? That's quite a haul," Brock pointed out.

Ash pondered the idea. "You have a point," he stated, before snapping his fingers. "I know! I'll just bring all the guys native to their own region. For now, anyway."

Soon enough, Bulbasaur, Kingler, Tauros, Snorlax, and Muk were safely in their Pokéballs. Ash waved goodbye to the rest of the Pokémon, telling them to be good and watching as they departed to their homes. After Staraptor left with Torkoal, Ash turned around in time to watch Pikachu jump atop Charizard's head with a cry. The two humans clambered on back, prompting the giant dragon to release another roar before taking off and heading towards the mainland.

-l-l-l-

After about an hour of traveling on Charizard, Ash had his friend land on the outskirts of Viridian Forest and returned the dragon to its Pokéball for a short rest. Brock followed Ash into the forest as his friend started muttering, "I think it was about here," and other such phrases to himself. The breeder walked slowly behind Ash, wondering what was 'here' and, more importantly, _why_ they were here.

It was after twenty minutes of fruitless wandering that Brock finally lost it. "Ash! Will you _please_ tell me why we're here?" he demanded.

Ash looked as if he was about to answer, but suddenly stopped and cocked his head to one side. When Brock tried gaining his attention again, Ash made furious gestures for the older man to be quiet before disappearing into the greenery of the forest. Brock sighed and followed his friend, almost stumbling upon him a moment later.

Ash was kneeling on the loamy forest floor, but turned around when he heard Brock approaching. "Brock," he whispered seriously, "I need a Potion. Now, please."

"Sure," said Brock as he pulled off his pack and began rooting through it. "Here," he offered, handing the Potion to Ash. "What's it for?" he asked quietly as he moved to stand behind Ash.

Cradled in Ash's hand was a fledging Pidgey, barely fitting in the Frontier Brain's palm. A slight wound was on its wing, and Brock surmised that it had tried flying from its nest but had crashed, still adjusting to the joy of flight, and injured itself. Ash sprayed a bit of the Potion on Pidgey's wing, and it gave a small chirp of pain before allowing the human to heal its injury. After a moment, Ash held his hand up to the sky. "Go on," he prompted, "go and fly." Pidgey chirped again and flew unsteadily out of Ash's hand, rising up to a low-hanging branch.

"Pidjoh!"

Ash, Brock, and Pikachu looked up to see a Pidgeot circling overhead. It swooped down on them, crying loudly as it landed in front of the trio. Brock stared on nervously as its talons hit the dirt, sending up a spray of dust, the top of its yellow-red plumage as tall as Ash; Pidgeot clicked its beak sharply, a fierce look in its eyes as Ash held up his hands in a non-threatening manner.

"Hey Pidgeot, it's okay. We found an injured Pidgey on the ground and only wanted to help it. See," gestured Ash, "he's right over there. Everything's fine." The baby Pidgey chirped in agreement as Pidgeot looked over to it, and the bigger bird relaxed slightly. "Hey, Pidgeot," continued Ash, "you…don't happen to remember me at all, do you?"

Pidgeot leaned in closer, scrutinizing the trainer with a careful eye. After a moment of observation, the giant bird clucked happily and threw its wings around Ash in what Brock assumed was the equivalent of a hug, Ash laughing all the while. "Yeah, it's good to see you too, buddy. I told you I'd come back for you." After that, Ash took a moment to explain the adventure in full, and finished by asking if his old friend wanted to come with him.

Pidgeot looked to the sky and called its name in a loud voice, and Ash looked momentarily bummed. "I understand if you still need to protect the other bird Pokémon here, Pidgeot," he conceded sadly. Suddenly, the flapping of wings above alerted the group of another presence, and they looked up to see two more Pidgeot and three Pidgeotto swooping down to land. Ash's Pidgeot began talking to the new arrivals and after a moment of (what appeared to be) careful deliberation, Pidgeot looked at Ash and crowed happily.

Ash looked ecstatic. "So these guys can take care of everything if you come back with me?" Pidgeot nodded. "Awesome! Welcome back buddy!"

"Pika! Pi pikachu!" greeted the electric rodent.

Ash took out Charizard's Pokéball and released the giant dragon again. "Hey Charizard," Ash addressed, "can you take Brock while Pidgeot takes Pikachu and me?" The fire dragon snorted a little, insulted that Ash would insinuate he _couldn't_ carry Brock (especially after how far they'd already flown). "Alright, well, we're off to Cerulean City, so let's go!"

"Cerulean?" queried Brock as he climbed on Charizard. "Does that mean what I think it does?"

"Yep," confirmed Ash, "we're off to get Misty. And you," he added, turning his attention to Pidgeot as he boarded the bird, "and I have a lot to catch up on."

-l-l-l-

Misty Waterflower sighed as she sat on the edge of one of Cerulean Gym's giant pools, feet submerged in the water. Psyduck – the only one of Misty's Pokémon not in the giant battling pool (for he still could not swim) – seemed to notice his trainer's melancholy state and waddled closer. The yellow duck plopped down next to the gym leader and tilted his head to the side, hands glued to his temples throughout the entire process. "Psy?"

Misty sighed again. "I don't know Psyduck. I don't feel like I have anything to be sad about, and yet I am. I'm a great Gym Leader, if our reputation is anything to go by, and I have a lot of Water Pokémon that I train with and love, but I feel like I'm missing something. I just don't know what."

Psyduck tilted his head the other way, as if prompting Misty to continue. Though the gesture went unseen, Misty continued her monologue. "It just feels as if I'm settling by staying at the gym the whole time. I mean, I can't go out that often to catch new Pokémon, and I haven't seen Ash or Brock in person in what feels like forever. It just doesn't feel like I'm going anywhere right now," she finished sadly.

"Psy yai yai," the duck comforted, patting her knee with a hand. Psyduck stood up and began to walk away, but slipped in a puddle of water and fell into the pool. "PSY YAIAIAIAIAI!" he cried as he flailed around.

Misty shook her head in exasperation. "One day, you'll have to learn to swim, you poor excuse for a water Pokémon," she said as she lifted him out of the water. He looked so pathetically sad standing there, dripping wet with his hands on his head, that Misty immediately felt guilty. "I'm sorry Psyduck. Thanks for trying to make me feel better." She leaned over and kissed him on the top of his bill. When she pulled back, he stood there momentarily before walking away, leaving Misty to her thoughts again.

It wasn't quiet for long. The ring of the doorbell echoed around the pool area, prompting Misty to sigh as she stood up. She stretched, cracking her spine in the process, and then proceeded to walk towards the front of the gym. She opened the front door, paused briefly, and then shut it again, a dusty rose of color staining her cheeks.

_That was…Ash…and Brock…and I just shut the door on them!_

She quickly wrenched the door open again, Ash's fist raised in preparation to knock. "Gee Mist, if that's how you treat your friends, I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies," Ash smirked.

The redhead was so shocked she stood there for a long moment doing nothing. Both boys turned to look at each other, exchanging a pair of shrugs before Ash waved his hand in front of her face. The movement seemed to galvanize Misty, and she gasped in surprise before throwing herself at him. "Ash!" she cried, hugging him tightly. "Brock!" she followed, moving on to him. "It's so good to see you both! Come in!"

It took awhile for Misty to calm down, the euphoria from seeing her best friends still flooding her system. She got them all some water before sitting down at the table, allowing Ash to explain the reason for the visit. Once he was done, Misty sat silently sipping her water, thinking over what she had just been told. At long last, she seemed to come to a decision. "Daisy!" she called.

"Like, what?" returned the voice of her eldest sister.

"Hark! I must've gone to heaven because I think I hear the voice of an – Ow, ow, not the ear, not the ear!" whimpered Brock, his swooning interrupted by Misty's vice-like grip on his ear. Ash looked on in amazement, mildly amused that Brock still hadn't gotten over his infatuation with every pretty girl he met.

_Besides_, he thought idly, _it's not like Daisy's the prettiest sister. It's obvious that Misty – whoa…where'd that thought come from?_

The raven-haired man shook the thought from his head in time to hear Misty yell, "I'm leaving with Ash and Brock for awhile! I don't know when I'll be back, but you better take good care of the gym, okay?"

Silence returned the call, and Ash thought that Daisy would refuse the order, until, "Fine. But this is, like, the last time, you got it?"

Misty bit down a squeal of glee. "Deal!" she called. "Stay here," she ordered the boys. "I'm going to go pack up my stuff." With that, Misty ran upstairs and closed the door to her room. Brock and Ash exchanged shrugs again before heading into the pool area.

It took just under an hour for Misty to finish packing. She walked down the stairs wearing a pair of jeans, a red sleeveless shirt with an inch-high yellow collar, and a light pink jacket over it to find the kitchen empty. Wandering around, she found the boys in the pool area, Ash cheering on his Kingler from the sidelines as he raced against Misty's Politoed. Misty smiled as she watched Ash congratulate his Pokémon on a job well-done, even if Politoed beat him. He returned Kingler to his Pokéball and turned around to see Misty standing a little behind him.

Misty walked up next to the pool and held out two Pokéballs, one in each hand. Red beams shot out from the buttons on the center, hitting Gyarados and Politoed and returning them to the capsules. She did the same for Corsola and Staryu, putting the balls in her traveling bag. "Ready to go?" she asked Ash and Brock.

"What about Azurill?" the Frontier Brain asked.

"Well, I'd like to bring her along, but it's a pretty long journey, so my sisters are going to take care of her," Misty explained. "Now come on, let's go!"

"Psy yai yai!"

All three turned around to see Psyduck waddling as fast as he could towards them, Pokéball held in his large bill. For the second time that day, he tripped in a puddle of water, spitting up the Pokéball and falling flat on his face. Misty sighed. She walked over to Psyduck and picked him up, concern in her eyes. "Are you okay Psyduck?"

He nodded in response and pointed at the Pokéball next to her. "Duck, psy duck."

Misty looked skeptical. "You want to come with?" When he nodded in response, she sighed and shrugged. "Why not?" The redhead picked up the Pokéball and aimed it at her Pokémon, Psyduck disappearing quickly in a beam of red light. She stood up and brushed her knees, turning to look at her two traveling companions. "I'm ready! Where to first?"

"Well, I was told to capture Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres first," began Ash, "and the other reason for coming here was to explore a rumor I heard recently. You know about the old Power Plant down by Rock Tunnel?" he asked Misty.

"Yeah, it's abandoned. Most people avoid it due to how dangerous they consider it. What about it?"

"And you've been having weird weather recently, right?" he continued.

Misty gave him a strange look. "Yeah…we've had a couple of thunderstorms over the past couple of days. What about it?" she repeated.

Ash's eyes glinted mysteriously. "I think it's Zapdos," he finished conspiratorially. "So we're gonna go explore the Power Plant and see if I'm right."

Brock and Misty blinked in surprise before the former nodded. "It makes sense. Are we flying?"

"Nope!" said Ash with a wide smile. "Now that we're all here, it's all on foot! Makes the journey that much better, don't you think? Besides," he continued, more seriously, "I need all the Pokémon I can get to take on the legendaries. There's no point in tiring out Charizard and Pidgeot unnecessarily."

"Pidgeot?" exclaimed Misty, surprised.

"We'll have to catch you up as we're walking!" yelled Ash, already running out the door. "Now let's go…to the Power Plant!" Misty and Brock could only exchange glances before running off after their friend, taking the first step on their new journey.

-l-l-l-

**Author's Notes:** Wow...you guys are kind of amazing. While this story didn't get nearly as many hits as my other one, I'm still a bit amazed at the attention that I caught with this. Thanks to Texas Longhorn, Milotic, dbzgtfan2004, and meeresstern1983 for reviewing...especially the two former. I've admired both TL's and Milotic's work for a decent amount of time now, and having them hit this fic up REALLY made my weekend. Thanks to everyone though...it really gives me a lot of inspiration to continue just seeing how many people like this story.

So the gang is gathered now. I was going to do where Ash took ALL of his Pokémon with him, but that seemed a bit ludicrous, so I scratched it. As for Pidgeot...am I the ONLY person who finds it ridiculous that EVERY guy Ash seems to get, he releases at some point, promising to return but never doing so? WELL NO MORE! And Pidgeot's just the beginning...

Before I go further, I just would like to point out that I really haven't watched any of Diamond/Pearl (pah, new VAs), and have only seen half of Hoenn. As a result, May and Dawn WILL NOT be making an appearance (or if they do, it won't be anything significant), and Ash's Pokémon evolutions may differ slightly from what he has in the show.


	3. Danger: High Voltage

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Pokémon._

-l-l-l-

**Day 2**

Brock sighed as he watched an all-too-familiar scene play itself out in front of him, Pikachu standing beside him.

"You got us lost _again_ Ash!"

"I know _exactly_ where we are Misty!"

"Oh yeah? Then where are we, _genius_?"

"…We're in the Power Plant of course!"

Brock could only stare, completely dumbfounded, at this response, standing on the sidelines as the argument (somehow) degraded into a childish exchange of "Did not!" versus "Did too!" He heaved another great sigh and buried his face in one hand, shaking his head in frustration.

It had taken about a day to get past Route 9 and surf down Route 10 to the abandoned Power Plant. The trio had spent the night outside of the facility, waiting until morning to venture into its depths. Of course, it had only taken a couple of hours to reach the tragic boiling point of Misty's still somewhat short temper…made only worse by Ash's still less than impeccable sense of direction.

However, it wasn't _entirely_ Ash's fault. While he had led them (relatively blindly) through the Power Plant without any prior directions or knowledge of the place, the facility was a veritable maze all on its own. Broken generators and other machinery littered the floor, loose wires stuck out of strange places, and rocks and glass shards of all sizes were scattered around the travelers' feet. The majority of the motorized doors were also inactive, and more than half of those were closed, meaning that if Ash and Brock couldn't push through the weaker ones by themselves, the Frontier Brain would call on Tauros to help ram down a path, creating even more of a mess.

This leads us to our current situation.

"Pikachu," muttered Brock around his hand, "would you like to do the honors?"

"Pi," accepted the rodent. The red pockets in his cheeks began sparking violently before he seemed to scrunch inward upon himself and released a Thunderbolt with a cry of "Chuuu!"

The electric attack connected squarely with the bickering duo, stopping the argument as thousands of volts ran through their system. Ash coughed out a small puff of smoke, recovering quickly after having been shocked so many times throughout the years. "Thanks buddy," he told Pikachu. The Pokémon rubbed the back of his head, releasing a small, embarrassed 'cha!' "Perhaps we should put this on hold for now?" Ash suggested to Misty.

"Fine," she agreed grudgingly. "But how do you expect to find Zapdos – if it's even here – if you can't navigate us through this place?"

Ash shrugged. "I dunno. I figure we'll find some way to the exit. Dumb luck normally works out pretty well for us."

Misty could feel her ire rising again. She was about to say something when Brock interrupted. "Guys…I think we have a different problem." When both turned to look at him questioningly, the breeder merely pointed behind them. Both trainers turned around and gasped.

A crowd of Electric Pokémon – mostly Voltorb and Electrode, with a group of Magnemite and several Magneton – had apparently been attracted by Pikachu's electric attack; and judging by the sparks flying from the Magnet Pokémon and the angry expressions on the Ball Pokémon, the trio's intrusion upon their home was quite unwelcome. Sparks flew from the Magnemite and Magneton as Voltorb and Electrode surged forward, exploding all the while.

All three trainers blanched in horror. Ash recovered fastest. _"RUN!" _he bellowed, turning around and taking his own advice. The Frontier Brain sprinted through the nearest open door, Misty and Brock not far behind, with the Electric-types hot on their trail.

After twenty minutes of running, all three trainers were running out of steam. The Magnemite and Magneton – not possessing the same speed that Voltorb and Electrode did – had been lost shortly into the chase, but the Ball Pokémon were able to keep pace with the trio, using Explosion and Self-Destruct when they were close enough. One of the blasts had been close enough to throw Misty momentarily off balance, but Brock had righted her and they had kept on running through random doorways.

_As long as there're doorways,_ thought Ash, _we can keep going for a bit longer and not have to fight them._

That was when Murphy's Law went into effect. The next area Ash ran into was a long corridor with one of the motorized doors at the end, tightly closed.

_Figures_, he thought with a scowl. He reached down to his belt and grabbed a Pokéball, opening it in his hand and allowing the figure to form just in front of him. "Tauros!" he yelled as the Bull Pokémon appeared in a flash of white, "ram down the door! Quickly!" The Normal-type lowed in response, stampeding ahead and lowering his head to ram the door in. The metal gave way with a grinding sound and Ash sprinted the last several yards into the next room.

"C'mon, c'mon," he urged Misty and Brock. On their last legs, both Gym Leaders dove for the doorway, scraping their limbs along some of the broken metal littering the floor. "Tauros, EARTHQUAKE!" Ash roared, panicked. Tauros lowed again, rearing onto his hind legs before bringing his sharp hooves down in a powerful strike to the floor. The three humans wobbled slightly from the reverberations, but the attack served its purpose: the Voltorb and Electrode were thrown off course. "Again!" Ash commanded, and the bull repeated the attack, putting enough force behind the move to bring down several old generators across the doorway, blocking the entrance.

Ash looked at his two companions. "You guys alright?"

"Peachy," grumbled Misty as she and Brock got to their feet. Ash smiled slightly; if Misty could summon the energy to be sarcastic, they were fine.

"You did great Tauros," Ash complimented. "Thanks for the assist." The Bull Pokémon mooed happily as his trainer held out his Pokéball, recalling him in a beam of red light. "Okay, now what?" he asked.

"How about a breather?" wheezed Brock. "I know we're all in pretty good shape, but that was ridiculous!"

"Seconded," agreed Misty.

"Alright," Ash acquiesced. As both Misty and Brock plopped to the ground gratefully, Ash took in the new area. It was in the same condition as the rest of the Power Plant; the only obvious difference was that there were three doorways – one of which was closed – instead of the usual one or rare two doorways. Three different pathways leading who-knew-where was when Ash decided he needed help. "Uh…"

"What?" demanded Misty. "We've been lost, gotten chased around this stupid place by a bunch of angry _exploding_ Electric Pokémon, and Brock and I probably got tetanus from sliding across this floor with all its broken machinery. So what, Ash Ketchum, are you 'uh'ing?"

Ash gulped in fear; an enraged Misty was quite a sight to behold, and she already appeared dangerously close to her boiling point, _again_. "Well, um…there's three doors here…and I'm not _exactly_ sure which one to take," he admitted sheepishly.

Dead silence greeted this proclamation, and Ash could have sworn that Misty was coloring a furious red from the neck up, like a volcano about to rupture. He cringed in expectation of the ensuing eruption, but a quieter nose – almost like a muted buzzing – made its presence known first. Ash put a finger to his lips to signal for silence and reached down to his belt, grabbing one of the Pokéballs clipped there.

He glanced around as the buzzing sound continued, stepping forward cautiously and listening for the noise to get louder. After several paces, he pinpointed the sound coming from a pile of broken equipment in one of the corners. He approached it carefully, grasping the edge of the top piece of machinery and mentally counting to three before moving it aside in one swift motion.

After a few seconds, Ash promptly broke down into laughter at what he had revealed. A small levitating metal sphere with one screw sticking out of the top and two screws – heads facing forward – on the bottom of the sphere and two magnets on either side was shaking slightly, single eye closed in what Ash presumed to be fear. "Mag-ne-mite," droned the Pokémon.

Ash re-clipped the Pokéball to his belt, holding out his hand palm up to the Magnemite. "Hey buddy," he coaxed gently, "it's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." The Pokémon opened its eye, taking a moment to scrutinize Ash's open hand with distrust.

Pikachu – who had taken advantage of the lull in action by resting – finally seemed to notice the situation his master was currently in, and his cheeks began to spark in warning. Magnemite's eye roved from Ash's hand to the electricity so quickly Ash thought a switch must have been thrown. The Magnet Pokémon levitated past the human and settled above the electric rodent, basking in the voltage given off. Pikachu almost stopped when Magnemite continued to hover above him, but some prompting from Ash told him to keep going.

Brock and Misty watched silently as Magnemite seemed to feed off of Pikachu, while Ash walked back towards the group. "Ash," Brock spoke quietly, "what are you doing?"

Ash's eyes were riveted to Pikachu and Magnemite when he responded. "You'll see."

The researcher let the feeding go on for several more minutes until he deemed it time to put his plan into action (and save Pikachu). "Hi Magnemite," Ash greeted cheerily, holding his hands up in an I-mean-you-no-harm gesture; the Electric-type looked up warily but made no other motions – positive or negative – so Ash continued talking. "We," he continued, gesturing to himself, Misty, and Brock, "are looking for the exit. Would you be able to take us there?"

Magnemite seemed to study Ash, and time seemed to slow down as the trio awaited its decision. At length, it uttered, "Magnemite," and levitated swiftly through one of the open doors.

Ash turned around a shot Misty a victory glance, sticking out his tongue for added effect. "See, I told you I'd be able to find the exit."

"Yes, congrats," she returned dryly, standing up with Brock and walking towards the door. "It only took 6 hours to get the adult male to realize he was hopelessly lost and ask a floating magnet to be our tour guide. Whatever would we do without your impeccable sense of direction?"

Ash looked down at Pikachu – standing beside him – as Misty and Brock trooped past. "I sense sarcasm," he told the rodent. "What do you think?"

"Pi," he agreed, before bounding after the other two.

-l-l-l-

Brock would admit that for all of Ash's crazy ideas (and there were _a lot_), this one was actually working out relatively well.

Magnemite had led them through a complete maze of locked doorways, fallen machinery, and complex pathways for the past two hours that Brock was sure they never would have deciphered on their own. Three times already they had had to double-back because of a blocked path, and while Misty was still walking beside them in a bit of a mood, she had refrained from saying or doing anything to drive off their temporary guide.

Not only that, but Brock also had to admit that Ash had a gift when it came to Pokémon. Throughout the expedition, he had slowly but surely gotten Magnemite to open up to him, even getting the small Pokémon to hover over his shoulder like a guardian angel.

Brock shook his head in amazement. Only Ash would be able to pull off such a feat.

It took another 45 minutes, but soon enough Magnemite stopped in front of a closed door. "In there?" asked Ash. Magnemite bobbed in response. "Alright! Thanks for your help buddy," Ash told the Electric-type.

"Mite magnemite," it droned, before sparks erupted from its magnets, overloading the circuitry in the door and causing it to slide open effortlessly. It floated into the room, followed by the humans and Pikachu.

The room was _huge_. Like the rest of the Power Plant, broken generators and machinery littered the ground and were stacked along the walls. There were a few rocks scattered about the floor along with some broken glass; chunks of brick, mortar, and pipes from the ceiling were also strewn about the ground. However, there didn't seem to be another door. Ash turned to face Magnemite. "You're sure this is the exit?" he reaffirmed.

Magnemite buzzed confidently and Ash shrugged, trusting the little Pokémon. "Alright then," huffed Misty, "say this is the exit…where's the door out? And better yet, where's –"

"Keeroh!"

Misty fell silent as Zapdos, Legendary Bird of Thunder, descended from above and perched upon an upright generator opposite the trainers, close to the back wall. The bird was all angles, its yellow and black plumage arranged in jagged spikes along its tail and wings, and cresting its head. Brown feathers covered its thighs, leaving tough leathery skin for its legs and 4-taloned feet. Black rings around its eyes and a dangerously sharp beak – easily a foot long – completed the features of the smallest of Kanto's Legendary Birds.

The Electric- and Flying-type remained motionless as the trio drank in its sight, none of them daring to even breathe. After what seemed like forever, Misty finally breathed, "Zapdos…" and the bird took action.

It spread its yellow and black wings wide as electricity coiled around them like so many live serpents. Zapdos opened its beak and screeched briefly as lightning surged from its body, traveling along the walls and broken generators in a show of strength. As electricity danced from the bird, a metallic screech sounded out followed by a loud _clang_ of metal striking metal. All heads turned to the single door in the room, now shut due to Zapdos' attack overriding the circuitry. Magnemite attempted to open the door with its own attack, but the effort proved fruitless.

"We're locked in!" Brock exclaimed.

Ash turned back to face Zapdos, a determined expression on his face. The bird stared him down, taking a moment to preen its left wing before meeting Ash's look again. "I guess we have no choice then," stated Ash seriously. "I have to capture Zapdos so we can get out of here. Pikachu!"

"Pi ka!" responded the rodent, leaping in front of Ash, sparks flying from its cheeks.

"Let's go!" Ash shouted. "Start things off with a Thunderbolt!"

"Piiika-chuuuuuuuu!" he cried, loosing a stream of lightning from his body. The attack connected squarely with Zapdos, whose eyes closed in slight pain before spreading his wings and dispersing it.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out, stepping back a pace in surprise.

"So, Zapdos can withstand Pikachu's Thunderbolt huh?" Ash stated. "Time for a different strategy then." However, Zapdos decided to make its move just then; electricity built up around its form, and with a screech it released its own Thunderbolt at Pikachu. "Use your speed!" Ash called. "Agility!"

"Pipipipipi," went Pikachu as he used his speed to dance through the attack, disappearing and reappearing randomly.

"Now Pikachu, Volt Tackle!" commanded Ash. The electric mouse reappeared right in front of Zapdos, and with a cry of 'Pi-ka!' covered itself in lightning and rammed into the bird with all his might.

The attack seemed to have some effect, for Zapdos screeched in pain as the electric attack surged into its body. It clapped its wings together and Pikachu was forced to springboard off its body, back-flipping and landing on all fours twenty feet away, panting slightly.

The electricity surrounding Zapdos dissipated, leaving the bird with a noticeable glint of revenge in its eyes. It took flight, surging forward quickly with its beak spinning wildly. "That's a Drill Peck!" Brock shouted. "One hit from that might end this battle for Pikachu!"

"Dodge it Pikachu!" ordered Ash, and his Pokémon leapt out of the way at the last second, allowing the Drill Peck to burrow into the ground where he was just standing. Zapdos kept up the offensive, following Pikachu around and stabbing with its beak as the rodent continued to barely dodge the attack. Ash gritted his teeth in frustration; Pikachu couldn't go on like this much longer.

"Quick Attack," he ordered, thinking quickly. Pikachu complied, turning on a dime and rushing past Zapdos' head and striking the bird's chest. "Now, turn it into an Iron Tail!" Pikachu's tail glowed white and he swung it into the same area, causing Zapdos to cry in pain again.

Zapdos flapped its powerful wings, propelling itself backwards and roosting briefly upon a fallen generator. It seemed to be somewhat tired, but compared to Pikachu it was still in fighting shape. The poor electric mouse was panting hard but still standing, even if just barely. Zapdos stared at its adversary momentarily before stretching out its wings again, calling electricity to them. Then, it raised its head skyward and sent the electricity upward with a cry of "Keeroh!"

Dark, stormy thunderclouds began to accumulate overhead, and within a matter of seconds a light rain began to fall. Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu watched in confusion as Zapdos continued to stare at the sky, where lightning began to roll in-between the clouds. As a thick bolt of lightning zigzagged towards the Legendary Bird, Brock realized what was happening. "It's Rain Dance," he murmured to himself, and then the last puzzle piece fell into place as Zapdos was struck with the lightning bolt. "Ash!" Brock hollered over the storm, "Zapdos is preparing to use a _massive_ electric attack!"

Ash heard his friend, but the warning came too late. Zapdos absorbed the electricity like a sponge taking in water and then pointed its wing at Pikachu, where a large burst of white lightning burst forth from. With Pikachu too tired to dodge effectively and the rain increasing Zapdos' accuracy, the Thunder attack struck home, illuminating Pikachu in a bright flash that drowned out the small Pokémon's cry of pain.

"PIKACHU!" screamed Ash, a thunderclap sounding overhead as if to signify the end of the battle.

The three humans waited with bated breath until the Thunder attack faded, leaving Pikachu's crumpled form on the ground within ten yards of Zapdos. Ash made eye contact with Zapdos – who didn't move – before rushing forward and cradling his oldest Pokémon in his arms. The electric mouse opened its eyes slowly and weakly mewled "Pi…" before closing them again and resting in Ash's arms.

Ash returned to his friends, depositing Pikachu carefully into Brock's arms before turning around and facing his opponent once again. "Poor Pikachu," murmured Misty. "He took a real beating, didn't he?" she asked Brock.

"I think he was already weakened a bit from feeding Magnemite, and so wasn't able to fight to his fullest potential," the breeder commented in return. "But it'll be interesting to see what Ash does next. The rain gives Zapdos a bit of an advantage, making its electric attacks 100% accurate."

"Yeah, that's true," Misty agreed, turning back to face her friend. Both Gym Leaders lapsed into silence as they waited for their friend to make a move.

They didn't wait long. Ash reached down and unclipped one of the Pokéballs from his belt, throwing it out with nary a word. In a bright flash of light, Ash's Pokémon was revealed to be a large crustacean with pale underbelly, red carapace, four spindly legs, a crest of red – almost like a crown – behind its eyes, and two claws, the left one noticeably larger than the right. "Kukie kukie," announced Kingler, stretching his arms into the air.

"Ash, are you _insane?_" Misty yelled from behind him. "Zapdos just toasted Pikachu, and you want to use _Kingler_, a _Water_-type, against the _Legendary Bird of __**Thunder?**_"

"Misty," he said in a low voice. "I know what I'm doing. Trust me." Then, "Ready to go Kingler?"

"Kukie!"

Zapdos seemed to accept this as the beginning of round two, and discharged a Thunderbolt at the large crab. "Kingler, Protect!" shouted Ash. Kingler held out its larger claw, forming an impenetrable shield that the electric attack hit and fizzled out upon. Zapdos crowed in anger, flapping its wings heartily and sending several of the smaller rocks and shrapnel on the ground flying towards Kingler. "Harden," Ash commanded smoothly, getting back into the flow of the battle. Kingler huddled in upon himself, raising his large claw to take most of the damage.

Brock and Misty watched as this trend continued for another several minutes. Zapdos would either use an electric attack – alternating between Thunderbolt, Thunder, and Discharge – that Ash would counter with Protect, or beat its wings ferociously, during which Kingler would strengthen his defense with Harden. When Zapdos started rapid firing the electric attacks, Ash would alternate using Protect and having Kingler scuttle behind one of the decrepit generators for protection.

"What's he doing?" Misty asked, curious. "Zapdos can't get any hits in, but neither can Kingler. It's practically a stalemate, except that Zapdos still has the type advantage."

"I'm…not sure," Brock replied slowly. "I would say that he's trying to prompt Zapdos into getting angry, but I'm not sure what that would do for him."

Unaware to either of them, Ash heard what they said. He smirked a little to himself before shouting, "Keep it up Kingler! You're doing great so far."

"Kukie kukie," replied the Pokémon.

Finally, Zapdos had had it. "KEEROH!" it screeched angrily, before taking flight with a massive flap of its wings. Its beak starting spinning wildly and it dove in a furious path directly towards Kingler.

Ash's smirk grew a little bit wider: this was what he had been waiting for all along. "Kingler, stand your ground, and wait for my signal," he ordered.

Kingler didn't reply, just doing as his trainer bid. Zapdos was closing in fast, and it took everything she had for Misty not to scream at Ash to do _something_.

Zapdos was fifteen feet away when Ash reacted, quick as a whip. "Kingler! Grab it _now_!"

As if able to read Ash's mind, Kingler's larger claw shot forward and closed around Zapdos' whirling beak. Brock and Misty remained stunned, amazed at what had just happened, and even Zapdos seemed to let out a surprised, muffled squawk at the present situation before attempting to press forward with its attack. Kingler's feet fought for purchase on the slippery ground, and Ash could see that he needed to act fast before his Pokémon was seriously injured.

"CRABHAMMER!" he shouted, and Kingler's smaller claw glowed a bright white before he _slammed_ it into Zapdos' body. While not as powerful as his larger claw, Kingler's attack still packed a punch, and it was enough for Zapdos to stop its Drill Peck. Ash took complete advantage of this second opportunity: "Kingler! SLAM IT INTO THE GROUND!"

Using all his strength, the Pincer Pokémon brought his claw straight up – with Zapdos still in it – and then smashed the bird into the ground with as much strength as he could muster.

All three people felt the floor shake at the impact, and it took Ash several seconds to realize that Zapdos was not moving. "Pokéball, go!" he cried, throwing the red and white sphere at the downed Legendary. It connected squarely, and Zapdos was swallowed by the capsule in a flash of red. The ball hit the ground, and no one moved as it shook back and forth, before finally settling down with its usual 'ping'.

Ash stared at the ball for a solid ten seconds before he realized just what that little sound meant, letting out a giant whoop of excitement as it sunk in. He had just captured Zapdos, Legendary Bird of Thunder! "We did it!" he exclaimed, running up and hugging Kingler. "You're awesome Kingler! You deserve a good rest," he congratulated, returning the crab to his Pokéball. Ash stepped forward and picked up Zapdos' Pokéball, bringing it close as if to inspect that it was real before something else caught his attention.

The generator that Zapdos had perched on when it landed was sparking violently, and after several seconds it finally seemed to die with a burst of smoke. As Brock and Misty ran up to Ash, a door seemed to materialize out of nowhere behind the generator. "There must have been some sort of hologram hiding the door that was being powered by Zapdos," Brock theorized.

"But…Zapdos can't set up a hologram," Misty pointed out.

"Well, the Legendaries are working together," Ash replied, "I bet one of the other ones could have done it."

"True enough," said Brock. "Anyway, we should get out of here and get Pikachu and Zapdos to a Pokémon Center.

"Right," agreed Ash. He started walking towards the door, but Magnemite had already beaten him there. The Pokémon was already sending electrical pulses into the door, and after a moment it opened swiftly with a grind of metal on metal. Magnemite motioned for them to approach with an eye-smile, and as they came within range, Magnemite surged forward and began to return energy to Pikachu through electric shocks.

In short order the mouse Pokémon opened his eyes, and Ash promptly hugged him out of relief. "Thanks Magnemite," he told the Pokémon with gratitude. "We owe you a lot. See ya!"

The trio turned away and began to walk out the door, but Magnemite seemed to buzz in response. They looked back at it to see that it was following Ash; the Frontier Brain was distinctly reminded of so many of his other Pokémon friends that had exhibited this same behavior. "Magnemite," he began slowly, "do you…want to come with us?"

"Mag-ne-mite," it droned, bobbing its body in affirmation. Ash smiled happily and pulled out a Pokéball, opening it up for the Pokémon to climb into. In a flash, Magnemite was captured, leaving Ash with a giddy expression that made him look like a teenager again.

"Come on guys, let's go!" With that, they stepped outside of the Power Plant, blinking as the sun shone into their eyes. The weather had apparently cleared up rather quickly after Zapdos' Rain Dance and subsequent capture, and Ash could feel the sun's rays revitalizing him. He looked around, noticing how familiar the terrain looked and wondering when he would have seen it before.

"Ash?"

"Yeah Misty?"

"Is that the front door to the Power Plant _right there?_"

Ash looked to where she was pointing, noting that, not fifty feet away, were the giant double doors that opened into the Power Plant. Now the area being familiar made sense…they had camped there the previous night. "Um…yes?" he hedged.

"You realize that if we had just searched a _little_ harder, we could have saved the hours of wandering that maze, getting lost, and being chased by angry Electric Pokémon, right?"

Ash decided to ignore all the warning bells and whistles going off in his head, including the signs Brock was sending him from behind Misty's back. "You forget about the hologram though. And besides Misty, where would the fun in that be!" he responded cheerfully.

Ash never even saw the Mallet of Doom coming.

-l-l-l-

**Author's Note:** Well, there's Ash's first Legendary capture! Who the devil thought I would use Kingler to deliver the final blow, eh? I figure that Ash has made so many unconventional choices with battling over the years, he still carries that streak around a little bit.

I'm not entirely sure what else to say here...the chapters tend to take a bit longer because I have to look up Pokémon cries, attacks, episodes, etc. I just watched the 12th Pokemon movie (for what reason, I have NO idea), and realized just how hard it'll be to make some of these later battles believable. The only good news is that I have a ways to go to get there, and barring all of the banter and interplay between characters, I have the plot done through Johto (huzzah?). I'm trying to be as accurate and realistic as possible (even though Zapdos doesn't learn Thunderbolt...pretend), and so am trading quick updates for quality (I hope).

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and a huge thanks to Texas Longhorn, who recently promoted my fic in his latest update and continues to offer me words of encouragement. If you got here because of him, let me know...I'm kind of curious how indebted I am to him.


	4. Go With the Flow

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Pokémon._

-l-l-l-

**Day 2**

After recovering from Misty's powerful blow, Ash wasted no time in summoning Charizard and Pidgeot, climbing aboard the bird with Pikachu and heading for Cerulean City, Brock and Misty not far behind on the dragon. Pidgeot landed in front of the Pokémon Center, allowing Ash to disembark and recall the large bird right before Charizard landed. The fire dragon was also recalled, and the trio made its way into the Pokémon Center at a hurried pace.

"Nurse Joy –" began Ash quickly, but was quickly interrupted by Brock.

"Oh Nurse Joy!" exclaimed the breeder, hearts appearing in his eyes. "It seems like it has been too long since I last saw your lovely face, touched your smooth hands," – here, he took the woman's hands in his own – "but still my heart beats in short, static bursts, a joyous expression of my love for you!"

As Brock continued to ramble to the pink-haired nurse, Misty and Ash could only stare in amazement, the fact that their older friend still hadn't grown out of this phase a slight shock to both of them.

A brief flash of light forced the duo to turn away and shield their eyes. Brock's tirade was cut off by a brief grunt of pain as Croagunk sunk one glowing purple fist into his stomach. "Croa," croaked the Pokémon as he dragged Brock away, the latter feeling the side effects of Poison Jab.

"That was…unexpected," Misty stated, her hand outstretched in preparation to drag Brock away from Nurse Joy by his ear.

"I almost forgot about that," commented a stunned Ash. "Without you or Max to control Brock, Croagunk took over the duty. It was rather…effective. Anyway," he continued, turning to face the now-free Nurse Joy, "I really need you to take care of these Pokémon for me Nurse Joy," he pleaded with a tinge of desperation. He handed over the Pokéballs containing Pidgeot, Charizard, Kingler, Magnemite, and Zapdos, then placed the dozing Pikachu gently on the counter.

"Your Pikachu looks pretty worn out," admonished Nurse Joy.

"Yeah, he was pushed pretty hard," Ash admitted. "This one might need a bit of work too," he added, pointing at Zapdos' Pokéball.

"Okay, we'll do what we can. It may take a little while though."

"Thank you," said Ash gratefully. Nurse Joy nodded and took Ash's Pokémon to the back room, aided by two Chansey.

Four hours later found Ash sitting on one of the Center's couches, still waiting for Nurse Joy to return with his Pokémon. He twiddled his thumbs nervously and glanced at the double doors through which the healers had disappeared hours previously. When he noticed the syringe sign above it still illuminated, he sighed and glanced to his right.

With the bit of downtime, Brock had departed to go pick up some supplies from around town before leaving for their next destination. Meanwhile, Misty had opted to stay with Ash and was dozing lightly with her head against the couch's arm. She was on her side, curled up slightly with sneakers almost touching his thigh. Having nothing better to do, Ash took the time to actually look at his female friend.

She was a bit paler than he remembered, the whiteness of her face and hands staunch against the darker material of the couch. Though she was currently wearing her traditional side ponytail, her hair seemed longer, the color still a vibrant orange-red. Small black circles rimmed her eyes, a sure sign that she wasn't taking care of herself nearly as well as she always portrayed in their phone conversations. The fact that she was napping in the middle of the afternoon – something she always seemed to be on _his_ case about – just seemed to reinforce that fact.

Ash knew that Misty was in charge of the Cerulean Gym and had a ton of responsibilities. He knew that she was constantly busy training, battling, cleaning, and taking care of the gym and her Pokémon. But he was slightly unsettled to see how much of an effect all of the work was having on her. Perhaps this time away was what she needed?

"Mr. Ketchum."

The black-haired trainer started suddenly, realizing he had swiftly become lost in thought. He colored slightly when he noticed that at some point he had begun to lean over Misty, the act completely subconscious. "Yes?" he answered, standing up quickly and turning to face the slightly confused Nurse Joy.

"Here are your Pokémon back. They're all in peak health," she chirped sweetly. She held out a tray with five Pokéballs and Pikachu upon it. The electric mouse cried out happily as he jumped upon Ash's shoulder, letting out a satisfied 'chaaa!' as his trainer scratched him behind the ear.

"Ah, thank you," he replied automatically, taking the Pokéballs and clipping them to his belt. "Well, it's time to go down south," he told Pikachu after Nurse Joy left. "I have to make a call, but then I'll call Brock and tell him where to meet us. You can wake up Misty...she won't get angry at you."

-l-l-l-

"This area looks familiar," Misty stated slowly as the trio traveled down Route 5, closer to Cerulean than Saffron.

"I hope so. We only traveled all over Kanto when we were younger," Ash teased.

Misty shot him a glare. "You know what I mean."

"Yep," agreed the black-haired trainer, saying nothing else. Both Misty and Brock stayed quiet after that, assuming that Ash wouldn't say anything else specific until they reached their destination.

It took another 45 minutes before the forest thinned somewhat, revealing a large, white stone building on the outskirts of a small town. Brock and Misty followed Ash as he approached the building, noting that on the front was a logo of a brown turtle shell with a fireman's hat atop it. Understanding dawned on Misty and Brock as Ash reached the front door and knocked.

The door creaked open to reveal Officer Jenny and four Squirtle, the Pokémon all sporting black cloth jackets – with white trim on the sleeves and a strip of white near the bottom – and round sunglasses. Ash waited a moment before moving, fully expecting Brock to rush forward and proclaim his undying love for the teal-haired woman. When that never happened, Ash turned around to find Brock sweating nervously, Misty's finger by his ear and Croagunk by his side, fist poised to strike.

Ash sweat-dropped, the scenario too ridiculous to even comment on. He turned around to find that Officer Jenny and the Squirtle Squad had started moving toward him during the lull and were now mere feet away. "Hi Officer Jenny," he greeted, extending his hand. "Thanks for agreeing to meet me on such short notice."

"Oh, it's no problem Ash," replied the policewoman, shaking his hand. "I'm always glad to help the kid who turned these misbehaving Squirtle into the best firefighting team this side of Kanto. Now, what can I do for you?"

"Well," began Ash, not sure how to ask what he wanted. "I guess I just wanted to know if I could take Squirtle back from you!" he blurted. "I know that you needed him to help lead the other Squirtle, but I was hoping that maybe you guys didn't need him anymore and…" Ash trailed off when he noticed Officer Jenny looking somewhat uncomfortable. "What's wrong? Is Squirtle okay?"

"Well…" began Jenny, scratching the side of her face with her pointer finger. "I never told you this, but Squirtle…"

The opening of another door within the building interrupted whatever Officer Jenny was about to say, and all heads turned to face the disturbance. Standing in the doorway was another turtle Pokémon, slightly taller than the four Squirtle and possessing fluffy white ears and an equally fluffy tail. The same black jacket was thrown around the Pokémon's shell, but the sunglasses he wore were sharp and angular instead of round. "Wartortle!" cried the Pokémon proudly.

All eyes turned back to Officer Jenny, who had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "Your Squirtle evolved about a year ago during a big forest fire on the other side of the ravine," she explained. "I always forgot to call you and let you know."

"Squirtle…evolved?" Ash mumbled numbly. With Charmander having evolved so long ago, and Bulbasaur expressing explicitly that he didn't want to evolve, Ash had always assumed that Squirtle possessed the same mindset as his grass-type. Apparently that was not the case.

"Wow Wartortle, you look great!" complimented Misty, moving forward and leaning down to touch one of his ears. Wartortle scratched his head in an embarrassed manner as Brock also bent down to examine him. The turtle Pokémon greeted Pikachu warmly as well before turning to face his former trainer.

Ash shook himself out of his stupor and smiled at his old friend. "Well Wartortle, whaddya say? Wanna rejoin the team?"

Wartortle stared at Ash for a moment before walking over to the Squirtle Squad and entering a discussion with them. After a minute, he turned and whipped off his glasses, brown eyes shimmering with happiness. "War wartortle!" he agreed.

"Alright!" cheered Ash. "Welcome back buddy!"

-l-l-l-

The rest of the day had passed by rather quickly, Wartortle walking alongside Ash with Pikachu, chatting amiably with the electric mouse. After a quick lunch, Ash had even released Bulbasaur, the dinosaur-like grass-type maintaining a rather frigid attitude towards the evolved turtle for well over an hour. Eventually however, Bulbasaur gave up the cold persona and trudged along the dirt path of Route 5 side-by-side with Pikachu and Wartortle, exchanging tales of adventures long past in their own tongue.

The group spent the night at the check point outside of Saffron City, all three Pokémon curled tightly next to Ash as a sign of good faith.

Misty rose late the next morning, glancing over at her companions and then rubbing her eyes vigorously. While Brock was still snoozing (loudly) in his own sleeping bag, Ash, Pikachu, Wartortle, and Bulbasaur were quite obviously missing. Slightly panicked, Misty crawled over to Brock and shook him awake. "Brock!" she hissed quietly. He grunted in response, which the red-head took to mean he was listening. "Ash is gone!" she whispered frantically.

"He left earlier to visit Sabrina," mumbled Brock.

"What? Why?" Misty blurted. "And how do you know?"

The breeder groaned, giving up the fight for sleep and rising to a sitting position. "He woke me up before he left and asked me if I wanted to come along," he yawned. "I declined."

"But why?" she repeated.

"Well, no offense to Sabrina, but every time I think of her, I can only focus on the fact that she turned us into dolls. It's kind of a slight turn-off to visiting her often."

Misty shuddered, the memory – while 15 years old – still a horrific one to recall. While Sabrina had been nothing but polite – if stoic – at the Indigo League's conferences and events since then, Misty still found it hard to be in her presence for extended periods of time without remembering that mishap. The red-head shook it off before returning to the topic at hand. "I_ mean_, why did Ash go to see her?"

Brock shrugged. "He likes her."

"WHAT?" she exploded.

Brock quirked an eyebrow in curiosity. "Well, sure. They talk often enough, and the couple of times that he's come to Saffron, he always goes to see her. They're really good friends," Brock mused thoughtfully, "and he uses her insight and knowledge of Psychic Pokémon all the time for his research. Besides, I think that Sabrina is still grateful to him for helping to break her out of her funk when he came for the Marsh Badge the first time around."

"Oh. I see," Misty murmured, her mood melancholy. "Are they…dating?"

"Dating?" Brock blinked in surprise and then burst out into laughter. "That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard! In all my years of living with Ash, I've _never_ seen him go on a date, let alone express romantic interest in a woman. Why, jealous?" he finished with a smirk.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Misty huffed, standing up and turning around to hide her rapidly reddening face. "Like anyone could like that dork," she muttered, stalking away.

Brock didn't bring up the subject of Ash again that morning. He and Misty nibbled a quick breakfast in silence before packing up all of their belongings and walking into the heart of Saffron City.

Ash met the duo at the halfway point between Sabrina's gym and the northern checkpoint where they had stayed the night. He was running excitedly, a large grin plastered on his face as Pikachu, Wartortle, and Bulbasaur followed on his heels. Brock asked him what made him so happy, prompting Ash to grin cheekily but give no verbal reply.

Misty was stony-faced and temperamental for the rest of the day.

-l-l-l-

_Apparently_, thought Misty bitterly, _Sabrina is a special case as far as females go_.

Barring that first day on the road upon leaving Saffron, Misty had tried to put the thought of Sabrina and Ash out of her mind. She had succeeded pretty well for the several days following that departure to the west, but after passing through Celadon City – where Ash hadn't even mentioned Celadon Gym Leader Erika (much to Brock's dismay) – the Cerulean Gym Leader couldn't help but think of the Saffron Gym Leader.

Misty wasn't stupid. She, Erika, and Sabrina were the only female Gym Leaders in the entire Kanto region, and were renowned as three of the top trainers to boot. Erika was easily the prettiest and most feminine of the three, and Sabrina was arguably the strongest and had the most social status. Misty was…plain. She wasn't beautiful like Erika or well-bred like Sabrina; in fact, she was often considered average looking and the runt of her family. The one thing she could claim to actually be proud of having was a strong friendship with ex-Indigo Champion and current Frontier Brain Ash Ketchum.

And until now, she thought that that was something she could privately laud over the other two female Gym Leaders.

…_Stupid Sabrina_.

Lost in thought, Misty walked straight into Brock, who had stopped suddenly. The Water Pokémon trainer looked up and saw that there was a small house in front of them, which Ash was currently knocking on. Misty wore a confused expression as the door opened to reveal a rather large, blocky man with tanned skin, square jaw, and bulging muscles. "Yeah?" asked the man, wiping sweat from his forehead with a red towel.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir," began Ash, "my name is Ash, and these are my traveling companions, Brock and Misty. I was just wondering if you have a Primeape."

The man remained silent for a moment, appearing to consider the question. He spit to one side and nodded. "Yeah, I got a Primeape," he replied. "Real P1 fighting champ, that 'un." He eyed Ash suspiciously. "Why do ya ask?"

"Well, you probably don't remember me, but I was the kid who beat you in the P1 Grand Prix 15 years ago with my Primeape."

The man looked Ash up and down before moving aside and letting the trio enter the house. "My memory ain't too good, but I'll let ya see Primeape if ya want. My name's Anthony, by the way."

The group crowded into the living room, where a Primeape was busy doing sit-ups while a Hitmonchan held on to its feet. "Primeape!" barked Anthony. "This kid 'ere says he knows ya."

Primeape jumped to its feet in one swift move, approaching Ash slowly and sniffing with its pig-like nose. It circled Ash for a bit, smelling the trainer intermittently, before stopping in front of him with a confused expression on its face.

Ash noticed Primeape's confusion and moved his backpack, unzipping it and rooting around inside. "Maybe this will jog your memory buddy," he said, pulling out a battered red and white hat with a green Pokémon League symbol on the front.

Primeape's eyes began to water as it reached out with a trembling fist for the hat. "Pri…" uttered the ape-like Pokémon weakly, the voice distinctly masculine. "Prime!" he cried, latching on to Ash's waist.

Ash laughed happily. "It's good to see you too, buddy. Been a long time, huh? Did you become a true P1 Champ?" Primeape stepped back and nodded, attempting to wipe away the tears from his eyes with his gloves.

"So ya really are the kid who gave me Primeape," Anthony admitted. "That Pokémon has guts, I'll tell ya that much. And if Primeape wants ta go with ya, then I'm not one to stand in yer way. But you've got ta prove yerself."

"Prove myself?"

"Ya need to show me that Primeape can learn something from ya. I challenge you to a Pokémon battle, Ash. If you can defeat Primeape, he's all yours. Whaddya say?"

Ash's eyes burned with fire at the declaration. "You're on!"

-l-l-l-

It took a couple of minutes to shuffle everyone outside, Brock standing beside the imaginary battlefield acting as referee. To his left were Anthony and Primeape, the Pig Monkey Pokémon mashing his gloved hands together in excitement. Ash stood on the other side, a small breeze billowing out the bottom of his white lab coat and ruffling his hair. "Alright," stated Brock, "you guys know the rules. No time limit. Begin!"

Ash reached behind his back and unclipped one of the Pokéballs attached to his belt there. "Go!" he cried, pitching the ball forward. It hit the ground and bounced, opening in midair and emitting the usual flash of white light, which reformed into a gigantic purple mass of foul-smelling sludge.

"Muuuuuk!"

On the sidelines, Misty blinked. "That was…unexpected."

"Ash learned how to use Muk's dense body to his advantage," explained Brock without turning around. "Just watch."

"Muk, use Sludge Bomb," commanded Ash. The purple Pokémon rose to its full height and opened its giant maw wide, releasing a barrage of dense black orbs at Primeape.

"Dodge," demanded Anthony. Primeape jumped to and fro, evading the toxic attack. "Now set yourself up for a finishing blow," he continued. With practiced ease, Primeape jumped from rock formation to rock formation, his speed surprising Ash. He landed in front of Muk just as Anthony called out, "Mega Punch!"

"It's over," Brock commented quietly to Misty. She looked somewhat downcast until Brock continued, "Anthony just played right into Ash's hand."

Primeape reared back his glowing white fist and planted it squarely into Muk's body. The poison-type let out a low grunt, but otherwise didn't do anything else. Anthony looked surprised, but quickly called out, "Pull back!" Primeape tried to free his hand, but to no avail.

"Nice job Muk!" shouted Ash. "Now, just like we practiced! Body Slam!" On its trainer's orders, Muk reared up again, becoming a towering wave of goo that broke over Primeape, smothering the primate Pokémon with its mass. After several seconds, Muk pulled back to reveal Primeape on the ground, out cold.

"The winner is Ash!" called Brock after a few seconds, waiting to make sure that Primeape wouldn't rise. Anthony recalled the Pokémon and walked over to Ash, who was being smothered affectionately by Muk.

"It looks like you can teach Primeape more than I can now, Ash," ceded Anthony. He held out Primeape's Pokéball, which Ash took gratefully.

"Thank you Anthony," said Ash. "I know that Primeape must have become a lot stronger thanks to you, and I owe you a lot for taking care of him all this time."

"Ah, it was nothin'. Now get outta here and get back on yer journey. I'm sure you kids have a lot to take care of."

The trio waved goodbye to Anthony and his Hitmonchan, stopping in the nearby town to take shelter for the night. The next day, they were up, packed, and ready to go by mid-morning. They rented bikes to travel down Cycling Road, promising to return them at the other end.

With the wind at their backs and the slope of the notorious Cycling Road, it only took around six hours – plus a lunch break – to make it to the other end. After dropping the bikes off, the friends walked toward Fuschia City, arriving just as the sun began to set. They made it into the Pokémon Center and rented a room, where all three trainers promptly collapsed. Pikachu, lightly dozing atop Ash's head, merely opened an eye and glanced around before jumping off his perch and curling up on a pillow.

"Phew, what a day," breathed Misty. "A hot shower and a warm meal sound really good right now."

It took a moment to register what Misty said, but then all three sat up at the off-hand comment, shouting, "Dibs!" and running for the bathroom door. "Ladies first," cooed Misty sweetly, closing and locking the door after slipping through. Ash and Brock grumbled half-heartedly before playing Rock-Paper-Scissors to decide who would get the shower next.

-l-l-l-

After two hours, the travelers were all clean, fed, and dressed for bed, relaxing in the room they had rented. Brock walked over to Ash, who was sitting on the floor staring at a map. "What are you doing, Ash?"

"Planning," he responded, picking up the map and placing it on the desk that was present in the room. Misty sat up from her position on the bottom bed and swung her legs over the edge, standing up and looking over Ash's right shoulder as Brock took a position above his left. "We're here," stated Ash, pointing at the dot by the coast that represented Fuschia. "We need to go here and here," he continued, pointing at two different islands.

"Well, Seafoam is just a quick ride up the coast from here," said Misty, traveling the path with her finger to the first island Ash had pointed to. "We can take Gyarados to get there. But," she added as Ash opened his mouth to say something, "_I'm_ going to be the guide for the Seafoam Islands. I don't trust you to not get us lost."

"Fine," Ash conceded grumpily.

"That other island is Knot Island," chimed in Brock, "the first of the Sevii Islands. It's most notable feature is Mt. Ember. I can only assume that you think Moltres is there." When Ash nodded, Brock continued, "The easiest way I know of to get there is to take a ferry from Cinnabar Island. The trip is about a week long, way too much time to rely on Gyarados to take us. So we'll just have to head west to Cinnabar after you battle Articuno in Seafoam."

"That's what I was thinking," agreed Ash. Then he yawned, the action repeated seconds later by both Misty and Brock. "Well, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Let's hit the hay," he suggested. His two friends nodded, and he climbed to the top bunk where Pikachu was sleeping while Misty crawled in below him. Brock flipped off the light and settled in himself, and soon the room was filled only with the sounds of slumber.

-l-l-l-

"Brrr…I wish I had known it would be this cold," chattered Misty, rubbing her arms for additional warmth.

"Want me to come warm you up?" asked Ash with a coy smirk.

Brock rolled his eyes as Ash and Misty began to exchange witty remarks, too used to the arguments to get caught up in them anymore. "Sometimes I wish they would just kiss and get over themselves already," he muttered in annoyance. Pikachu, moving away from the fighting couple, squeaked his agreement with Brock's statement.

The journey to Seafoam had been, thankfully, uneventful. The ride had been quiet, all travelers enjoying the tangy bite of the salty sea in the wind as Gyarados had moved swiftly through the gentle water. Misty had taken charge upon landing, herding them all into the icy island and then leading them on a downhill slope to its depths.

Judging by how far they had traveled so far, and considering the drop in temperature, Brock guessed that they were more than halfway to the bottom, where Ash was sure Articuno would be residing.

"Ash! What are you doing? I told you I don't need you to warm me up!"

Brock snapped back to reality, catching sight of a flushed Misty shoving a laughing Ash away from her. More embarrassed than angry, Misty stomped her foot on the floor in a huff as Ash tried to stop his laughter and placate her.

_Chik_.

Beside Brock, Pikachu's ears twitched. He looked around suspiciously, realizing too late what the sound was. The electric mouse let out a cry of warning to his Ash and Misty, but it proved to be useless.

Misty looked down as the ice beneath her gave way, the force of her stomp enough to break the thin sheet of ice covering the hole in the floor. She gave a shrill scream as she dropped, prompting Ash into action. Brock's and Pikachu's shouts went unheard as Ash dove after his best friend, the pounding torrent of the rushing water below growing louder and louder in his ears.

-l-l-l-

**Author's Note:** Well, a little bit of a filler chapter, but I wanted to finish up Ash reclaiming his other two Kanto Pok_é_mon - Squirtle (Wartortle) and Primeape - as well as set him up on his next adventure: Articuno.

I'm trying to come up with a subplot for the story, since having a chapter of "Ash and Co. travel, find Legendary, battle and capture Legendary" seems rather tedious. I have the beginnings of an idea in my head, but I definitely need to flesh it out more to have it make more sense. It won't start for several chapters yet anyway, but I'm just throwing it out there. And I have an idea for a followup story - not really a sequel, but kinda - that struck me this morning, but obviously that won't be in the works for a long time yet.

Regarding the next chapter: prepare for some AAML momenty-type thingies (oddly specific that was) and a fierce battle with Articuno. I make no promises on when this chapter comes out because I'm having a difficult time coping with an issue that has cropped up pertaining to my family, and it is difficult to write with a dark cloud looming overhead; it's also why this chapter took way longer than it should have. Still, I'll get it out when I can, and I have absolutely no intention of abandoning this story, so don't worry about that. Thanks to all my reviewers from last week, and especially to Texas Longhorn, who for some odd reason promoted this story 3 updates in a row. Apparently I'm doing something right. Let me know what you think (or not...it's really up to you).


	5. Thin Ice

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Pokémon._

-l-l-l-

**Day 9**

_Previously:__ Brock's and Pikachu's shouts went unheard as Ash dove after his best friend, the pounding torrent of the rushing water below growing louder and louder in his ears._

Ash couldn't say for sure exactly _why_ he jumped after Misty. There was clearly no intelligent reason to do so; he couldn't magically transport them back up to the top, even if he did somehow manage to reach her in time. _Physics sucks_, he thought morbidly.

Thankfully, one of the more useful skills he had finally managed to master was his reaction time to falling. Almost a decade of stumbling into Team Rocket's pitfalls had taught him that he needed to react _fast_.

Instinctively, the Frontier Brain reached to his belt and unclipped one of his Pokéballs, expanding and opening it in one fluid motion. "Wartortle!" cried the Pokémon, forming right in front of Ash. Then he seemed to notice the pull of gravity. "War!"

"I know!" shouted Ash, latching on to the turtle's shell and angling them headfirst towards the water. He spied Misty – holding on tight to her Staryu – splash into the water and disappear beneath the surface. The raven-haired trainer took one last deep breath before plunging into the icy depths, succumbing for a moment to the shock of the temperature change. He quickly shook it off, kicking hard to help Wartortle swim to the surface.

The two broke the water and gulped air, Ash spotting Misty not far from his position. She and Staryu appeared to be struggling with the current, and Ash noticed that Wartortle was also paddling vigorously in order to stay in the same spot.

"Ash!" he heard Brock yell, vaguely registering that his taller friend must have been shouting himself hoarse to be heard over the rushing water.

"Don't worry about us!" Ash hollered back, "We'll just ride the current to wherever it takes us and meet you later! Take care of Pikachu for me!" He thought he heard Brock say something in response but had already stopped paying attention, choosing instead to tap Wartortle on the shell.

The turtle Pokémon got the message; he immediately stopped fighting the current, causing himself and his trainer to flow straight past Misty, who realized Ash's plan after a moment. She signaled Staryu, letting her Pokémon know to follow Wartortle's example, and was promptly chasing after Ash in a rush of water.

Neither trainer was sure how long they were stuck in their position, clutching for dear life to their water Pokémon as the river surged forward, but both knew that neither they nor their Pokémon would last much longer. Suddenly, Wartortle's feathered ears perked forward, catching Ash's attention and forcing him to focus on whatever the turtle's more sensitive ears had picked up on. "Hey," he called after a moment, "is it just me, or is it getting louder?"

Misty strained her ears as well, noticing it after a few seconds. "Yeah," she stated slowly, loud enough for him to hear. "You don't think…"

"Knowing our luck? Probably," he groaned.

The surrounding area began to lighten up, the somewhat thin trail the river followed opening into a wide internal cavern that stretched out further than the eye could see. Small pockets of land were attached to walls made entirely of ice, the majority of this part of the Seafoam Islands covered by water.

The only problem was that the entire area was a solid two stories below them.

_Crap_, thought both trainers, attempting to tighten their holds on Wartortle and Staryu as they approached the waterfall that separated the river from the water below. All four went over the waterfall, the two Pokémon angling themselves into a dive to limit the damage the fall would cause.

It took several minutes to recover, the group surfacing and swimming to the nearest shore, dragging themselves upon it with the last vestiges of their strength. Wartortle collapsed on his stomach and moaned as Staryu slumped to the icy floor not far from him. "Well," huffed Ash, his breath visible in the air, "that was…more adventure…than I….bargained for."

"You're…tellin' me," moaned Misty, attempting to find the energy to sit up. "Thanks for the help Staryu," she told the Pokémon, returning it in a stream of light. Ash followed her example, complimenting Wartortle for a job well done and returning him to his ball for a long rest. "Now what?" Misty asked, hugging herself and trying to prevent her teeth from chattering.

"Shelter," Ash managed, unclipping another Pokéball after putting back Wartortle's. "Charizard, help us out here." The fire dragon appeared with a roar, wings outstretched and prepared for a fight, but he was quickly disappointed. He shot a look at Ash that seemed to say 'where's my battle?', but Ash chose to ignore it and told the Pokémon to use Flamethrower on the wall.

Charizard snorted in disdain but complied, firing a stream of flame at the icy wall in front of him. As Charizard melted away the ice, Misty felt something wet touch her arms. She held out a hand and caught a stray snowflake, nudging Ash and pointing to the sky. He looked up and saw that a slight flurry had begun to fall; over the next couple of seconds it grew progressively harder. "Where the hell did this come from?" he asked.

"Dunno," shrugged the red-head, her chattering becoming apparent, "b-but we n-need to get outta h-here." A surprised roar from Charizard caught their attention, and the pair turned to see the cause of the outburst.

Apparently the wall of ice Charizard had been burning through was really just a thin sheet that had frozen over one of Seafoam's natural caves. Both trainers blinked once. "…D-didn't see that coming," Misty stated. Ash bobbed his head subconsciously in agreement before remembering that frozen, sheltered cave was much better than unprotected basement of Seafoam. He led Misty inside the cave, Charizard ambling in after them.

The cave was rather spacious, deep and dimly lit enough that neither human could see the end. The walls were all smooth ice, and stalactites of varying height hung from the ceiling. There was a bend in the cave several hundred feet from the make-shift entrance, and the faint trickling of water could be heard from around it.

"Spacious," Misty commented, turning around to get the full view and ignoring her companions. "S-so what's nex – Ash!"

Said trainer – hands grasping the bottom of his shirt (already half-off), lab coat already discarded on the floor – turned his head towards Misty, tossing her a confused expression. "What?" he asked innocently.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked, the slightest tint of red coloring her cheeks. Hidden in a corner of the cave, a Shellder revealed its face, watching the current spectacle with interest.

"Well, I've often been told that hypothermia is bad for you," he began dryly, releasing his hold on his shirt. "Considering that we've been in the water of a notorious icy island for who knows how long, are sopping wet, and are currently in the middle of the most random blizzard ever, I believe that _not_ wearing water-logged clothes is a good idea. Complaints?"

"…So you're…_stripping_?" Misty voiced nervously.

"Not exactly ideal, I know," Ash told her, bending down and digging through his backpack. After several seconds he surfaced with two bundles, tossing one of them to the red-head. She caught it deftly, turning over the wrapping and eying the contents. "Plastic-wrapped blanket," Ash answered her raised eyebrow. "Brock wanted to be prepared, 'just in case'," he explained, adding air quotes. "They're itchy as hell, but also the only dry thing we have."

Misty continued to eye the blanket suspiciously, turning away as Ash went back to removing his wet shirt. _Don't look, don't look, don't look_, she chanted to herself, a mantra she hoped would counteract the rising blush of her cheeks. She caught sight of Shellder, which promptly stuck its tongue out and cried its name. "Wise guy," she muttered, turning away from the Bivalve Pokémon and keeping her back to Ash.

She reached down to remove her own shirt, but stopped suddenly when she felt eyes on her. Suspecting Ash, she turned around, only to see the broad expanse of his back, hands dealing with his second shoe. Misty averted her eyes again, but managed to find Charizard staring at her, the Flame Pokémon standing halfway between his trainer and the red-head. "Do you _mind_?" she demanded, and Charizard immediately faced the other way, rumbling in slight embarrassment. "Perv," she muttered, catching sight of Shellder sticking its tongue out at her again. "You shut up," she told it.

Misty proceeded to remove her wet clothing, fighting the urge to turn around and check on Ash (and to make sure Charizard wasn't watching her again). Even though the two had kept in touch over the years, the last time she had seen Ash not completely clothed was in their mid-teens, and she was _mildly_ curious to know how much he had grown physically.

Not that she would ever admit that out loud, of course.

Of course, when it came to Ash Ketchum, there were many things that Misty would never admit, including the fact that she had fallen hard for the dense raven-haired trainer. After following him around for years – holding onto the pathetic idea that it was all about the bike – returning to the Cerulean Gym after finishing out the Silver Conference had been one of the hardest moves Misty could remember making.

Granted, she knew far before then that being Ash's traveling companion was about more than the bike. It hadn't been love, per say, but the admiration and attraction had been there. Ash's never-give-up attitude, his selflessness, and his outgoing personality held some sort sway over her that Misty couldn't quite explain. Even his unorthodox battling strategies – _Pikachu against Onix, Charizard versus Blastoise, Kingler facing ZAPDOS_, she mentally recapped off the top of her head – had been, and continued to be an inspiration, even influencing her to teach Gyarados Flamethrower.

She and Ash had spoken at least once a week, travel schedule permitting, while he was in both Hoenn and Sinnoh, and she had often bit down the rising feeling of jealously whenever he would mention May or Dawn. Granted, Brock had told her time and again that May had a thing for a rival coordinator and that Ash had never expressed interest in Dawn (even if the blue-haired girl did hold some sort of affection for him), but Misty still found it difficult to truly like Ash's other female relationships during his travels.

Perhaps that was the biggest problem, Misty thought as she tugged off her shoes. Despite numerous girls showing interest in him – Melody at the forefront, she remembered bitterly – Ash had always remained steadfastly interested in training, battling, and befriending Pokémon. Brock had stated in Saffron that Ash had never dated – a revelation which gave Misty pause to wonder if the thought of settling down and having a family had ever even crossed his mind.

Misty had gone out with men on numerous occasions since her late-teens, some at the behest of her sisters, others based on chance run-ins. The majority of the dates had gone well, and she had even been in a somewhat serious relationship at one point with one of the men, but in the end they all ended in failure. It took the last failed relationship she had been in to realize exactly why.

Misty Waterflower, tomboyish Sensational Sister and Cerulean City Gym Leader, had fallen in love with Ash Ketchum, wayward trainer, winner of the Indigo League, and current Frontier Brain.

There was nothing _wrong_ with the other guys…they just never measured up to Ash. And she realized that subconsciously, she was constantly comparing them all to him. _Stupid Ash and his hero complex and one-track mindedness_, she cursed. _Why can't he see there's more to life than just Pokémon?_

"Hey, are you done yet?" came Ash's annoyed voice. "I'm kinda tired of standing over here like an idiot."

"Just a sec. Keep your pants on, why don't you."

Somewhere over her shoulder Misty heard Ash snort, "A little too late for that." Misty flushed a light pink, bending down to pick up the plastic bundle and withdrawing the blanket. She slung it over her shoulders, double-checking to make sure nothing was showing before calling out, "Okay, you can look."

Both turned around simultaneously, Ash also huddled deep within the itchy fabric of his own blanket. "It's like being back in prehistoric times," he joked.

"Ash, just…don't talk," Misty mumbled, trying to crawl even deeper in the folds of the blanket.

The Frontier Brain shot her a look halfway between confusion and hurt, staying silent for a moment before ordering Charizard to lie down. His Pokémon seemed to resent the command but did so regardless, lying belly down on the floor of the cavern. "Sorry," he told the Pokémon, "but we need as much space as possible." Charizard seemed to snort in disdain, but remained still as Ash began to lay his wet clothes on the dragon's skin, steam rising at the contact. "You might want to do the same thing," Ash offered to Misty.

Misty nodded slightly, dragging her clothes over and placing them along Charizard's flank, her shoes set to dry by the giant flame on his tail. She saw that Ash had purposefully positioned his clothes on Charizard so that she could put her own things on a different area without him seeing them, and immediately felt bad for telling him to be quiet. "Sorry Ash," she apologized quietly, "I'm just…not very comfortable with this situation."

There was a brief moment of silence as Ash seemed to register what she said before comprehension dawned on his face. "O-oh…no it's okay, I understand. Hey, what's that?" he asked, walking over to an object lying on the ground next to Misty's changing spot.

Misty checked over the clothes she had placed on Charizard's body before her eyes widened in mild horror. "No Ash, don't -!" she started, turning to face him, but it was too late.

Ash reached the spot and almost immediately recoiled, back-pedaling quickly to his side of the cavern. A strip of red crossed the bridge of his nose as Misty walked over and picked up the object: her bra, forgotten in her haste to dry her clothes. Face as red as her hair, Misty trudged over to Charizard and laid the object by one strap on the Pokémon's wing-tip, out of Ash's sight.

Silence reigned in the cavern for a long moment, only to be broken by the high-pitched wailing of the Shellder in the corner, the sound echoing around the cavern in what Misty took to be laughter. Her face grew redder, this time in anger, and she pointed accusingly at the Bivalve Pokémon. "That's it!" she shouted, outstretched finger trembling in rage. "You have mocked me since we got in here, and now you've crossed the line!" The Gym Leader reached into her backpack and pulled out a Pokéball, enlarging it and then throwing it out in front of her. "Misty chooses Politoed!"

The green and yellow Pokémon appeared in a flash, clapping his hands together merrily. "Politoed, use Water Gun!" Misty commanded.

The Frog Pokémon immediately stopped cheering and adopted a serious expression. "Poli!" he croaked, shooting a torrent of water from his mouth at Shellder. Shellder seemed to realize that it was being attached and quickly formed an Ice Beam using the spikes atop its shell. The ice attack hit the water one, freezing it in midair.

Misty growled in frustration. "Use Growl," she told her Pokémon, and Politoed began a throaty croaking that caused Shellder to wince and close its shell. "Now, Water Gun again!" Politoed blasted another stream of water that hit Shellder, the power behind it cracking the ice Shellder was resting on. "Let's finish this up with a Headbutt!"

"Toad!" agreed her Pokémon, rushing forward and slamming his head into Shellder. The force of the impact created a small fracture in Shellder's shell, prompting Misty to throw a Pokéball at it as Politoed leapt out of the way. The red and white ball shook twice before settling down, and Politoed began clapping his hands together joyously while Misty went and picked up her new capture.

"Well," she began, all smiles, "looks like I've got a new Pokémon. Thanks Politoed, you did great." Politoed croaked once before disappearing in a beam of red.

"Nice job," Ash congratulated from his seat by Charizard's tail, not looking in her direction at all. He poked his shirt, muttering, "Still a little damp," before turning to Misty and saying, "Why don't you come over here and warm up? The clothes are almost done drying."

"Okay," she chirped, walking over and settling in a spot across from Ash. Silence reigned as both trainers sat as close as they could to the fire at the end of Charizard's tail. Misty's thoughts wandered back to their previous subject: that of Ash and her feelings for the bone-headed Frontier Brain. _What if – _"Ash, are you gay?"

Ash flinched violently, choking on his own saliva and then pounding his chest with a fist. "NO!" he shouted defensively.

Misty held back a giggle at how outraged her friend was, choosing instead to cock her head to the side in childlike wonder, half-curious, half-confused. "Haven't you ever thought about starting a family?"

The raven-haired trainer stared at the ceiling for a brief moment, gathering his thoughts. "A little," he admitted slowly, "but not often. Even though I know that it would make Ma happy, I've always enjoyed my life among Pokémon too much to focus on relationships. Among other reasons," he muttered.

"What do you mean?"

Ash sighed. "A lot of girls only want to go out with me because I beat the Kanto Elite Four, or because I'm the eighth Frontier Brain, or even because I'm a Pokémon researcher who's quickly gaining world recognition. It's too hard to try and weed out who's interested in me and who's _interested_ in me."

"That's why you've never dated before," Misty realized. Ash raised an eyebrow at this, prompting Misty to admit that Brock had divulged this little tidbit of information.

"Yeah," he nodded. "You know, sometimes I wish I could find a girl like you, Mist."

"W-what?" she stammered.

"Well, yeah. Someone who's smart and funny, loves Pokémon, and is easy to be around. A girl who isn't afraid to speak her mind and let me know when I'm doing something wrong, but who can support me when I need it. Hey, wouldn't it be funny if we tried dating?" he joked.

Misty tried not to let the hurt shine in her blue-green eyes. "O-oh, y-yeah."

Charizard interrupted the lull in conversation by growling lowly, propelling Ash into laying a hand upon his clothing. "They're all dry," he announced. He looked outside and noticed that the snow had stopped falling. "Let's change and get out of here," he suggested. "I'm getting antsy just sitting here." Charizard roared his own approval as Ash and Misty collected their clothes and returned to their respective parts of the cave.

It took ten minutes to dress, pack up the blankets, return Charizard to his Pokéball, and step outside. Misty remained in a rather somber mood the whole time, Ash's previous statement echoing in her head like a mountaineer's call.

'_Hey, wouldn't it be funny if we tried dating?'_

_It would be amazing_, she sighed hopelessly. _Damn Ash and his thick headedness, how can he not see what's right in front of him?_

"Misty?"

The red-head jerked at the mention of her name. "Huh?"

Ash was looking at her with an innocently puzzled look on his face. "I asked where we should go next. You are the leader, after all."

Misty looked slightly baffled. "Oh, uh, maybe it's better if you lead from now on. If Articuno really is in the basement of Seafoam, then you have a better chance of finding it than I do now that we're down here."

_Smooth_, she thought sarcastically. When Ash's look morphed into a mixture of concern and confusion, Misty felt the need to reassure her friend that she was fine. She opened her mouth to say something, but was abruptly stopped when something jolted her, and suddenly Misty's feet were no longer on the floor.

Misty heard Ash yelp beside her, the surprise at being lifted off the ground so suddenly startling him too. "Articuno?" she heard Ash question. She tilted her head as far as she could, spying scaly grey legs and a white chest.

_It really __**is**__ Articuno_, she realized in disbelief. Both trainers remained silent as Articuno flew them through the basement of the island, descending slowly after ten minutes of solid flying. The bird released its grip on the humans, allowing them to drop a couple of feet onto a piece of land surrounded on three sides by water and the last side by a sheer wall of ice.

Ash and Misty stood slowly, gazing with open-mouthed awe at Articuno. In contrast to Zapdos – whose angular body clearly depicted it as the bird of thunder – Articuno was the very picture of icy elegance. It had beautiful powder blue plumage, a white chest, and a darker blue spiky crest atop its head, composed of three feathers. "It's still pretty young," Ash observed.

"What?"

"Well," he pointed out, "an Articuno's age is determined by the length of its tail." Misty focused on the dark blue, ribbon-like tail that rippled slightly in the breeze, noticing that the appendage was just about the length of the bird's body. "A fully matured Articuno has a tail that's twice the length of its body," he continued, "meaning that this one is still relatively young."

Misty stared at Ash for a moment, taken aback by his knowledge. She knew that he was now a Pokémon Researcher, one that dabbled in Legendary Pokémon lore, but seeing him pull that trivia out of nowhere – especially compared to his younger, much denser self – was an impressive feat. The red-head turned her attention back to Articuno, taking in its majesty as it stared intensely at the two humans.

"Just couldn't wait, could you Articuno?" called Ash, startling Misty. "I bet that you started that blizzard outside so we could dry our clothes."

"Whoo-oo," trilled Articuno, flapping its wings in anticipation. Ash reached for his belt to grab Charizard's Pokéball, but a burst of light from his right side distracted him. Primeape formed in front of him, punching his gloved hands together and screeching excitedly.

"Primeape?" blinked Ash. "You want to battle?" When Primeape stomped his feet rapidly, Ash's trademark grin appeared. "Alright buddy, let's give it a shot. Let's start this up with a Mega Kick!"

_So it begins_, thought Misty, following Primeape's movements as the Fighting-type charged towards the Ice-type. The Legendary Bird of Ice used its wings to lift off the ground, hovering just above Primeape as Ash's Pokémon went past the spot Articuno had just vacated in a flying kick. Primeape looked up at his adversary, shaking his fists and hopping up and down in anger.

"Whoooo-hoo," cried the bird, flapping its wings and releasing a fine powder of snow. Primeape was hit with the full blast of the Icy Wind attack, crossing his arms to better protect himself. Ash gritted his teeth in frustration. _As long as Articuno is in the air, Primeape won't really be able to attack it. Gotta find a way to get Articuno down…or Primeape __**up**_, he realized, the grin slowly returning to his face.

"Primeape, head for the wall!" Ash called. The Pig Monkey Pokémon saluted smartly, running straight for the icy wall opposite him. Articuno immediately formed a frigid ball of ice in its beak, shooting a jagged beam out in an attempt to hit Primeape. "Dodge," ordered Ash unnecessarily, Primeape already zigzagging across the small landmass in an attempt to avoid Articuno's Ice Beam.

The Fighting-type closed in on the wall, dodging right as another Ice Beam tore over the ground and wall, forming jagged spires of the frozen water whatever the attack hit. Primeape hopped onto the newly formed icicle, hopping up and barely avoiding each new attack from the Legendary Bird. Thirty feet in the air, Primeape leaped from wall as Ash shouted, "Fire Punch!"

Fire roared to life around both gloved fists as Primeape came within 10 feet of the hovering Articuno. "Prime-ape!" he cried, thrusting one hand into Articuno's chest, followed by the other at its head. Articuno screeched in pain, flapping its wings in an attempt to throw off the Pig Monkey Pokémon. Despite the super effective attack, Articuno willed through the pain, its eyes glowing slightly. The bird managed to flap its wings in a Gust attack, dislodging Primeape from its body and sending the Pokémon into free fall.

Primeape righted himself in midair, but Articuno recovered faster. It flapped its wings and sent a powerful Blizzard right at Primeape. "Fire Punch again!" Ash commanded; Primeape's fists lit on fire again and he began to punch the snow, melting the particles that were aimed for more vital organs. He was still pelted with snow on his arms and legs, and the force of the attack blasted the Fighting-type into the ice wall, creating a spider-web of cracks from the impact. Primeape groaned in pain as Articuno prepared another Ice Beam, firing it quickly and freezing Ash's Pokémon to the wall.

Articuno crowed in victory as Ash was forced to recall Primeape. "You did well," he told the Pokéball, clipping it back to his belt. _There's no way Articuno could've been that accurate, even with Primeape free falling._ _The glowing eyes_, he realized after a moment, _must've been Mind Reader. No wonder he hit every time. Well, time for my original strategy_. "Charizard, I choose you!" he cried, summoning the fire dragon with a flick of the wrist. Charizard appeared in a burst of light, roaring proudly.

The Legendary Bird of Ice screeched in retaliation, firing a quick Ice Beam at its opponent that was countered with a Flamethrower. _Heh_, smirked Ash. _One of the_ _good things about using such a fully trained, older Pokémon is that I don't even need to tell him what to do half the time._

The collision of the opposing elements caused a cloud of steam to shroud the field. From the outskirts of the steam, Ash thought he saw two pinpoints of glowing blue light before the vapor seemed to thicken and swirl, as if being controlled. _Articuno's Mist attack_, Ash scowled. "Charizard, fly up and blow away that mist with your wings," he ordered. His Pokémon roared in understanding, flapping his powerful leathery wings and ascending above the mist.

Charizard beat his wings, quickly removing Articuno's cover from the field and revealing it to be standing on the ground. The bird squawked and Ash shouted, "Now Charizard, Dragon Rage!" A crackling white-yellow sphere of energy built within the Fire- and Flying-type's maw before it was launched at the Legendary Bird, expanding and engulfing Articuno in its mass. Charizard beat his wings proudly at this accomplishment, shooting a jet of fire into the sky. Ash smiled at his Pokémon and pumped his fist excitedly.

It took several seconds for the smoke from the attack to clear, but when it did Articuno was shown to be still upright, if badly injured. Despite its wounds, Articuno managed to spread its wings out – wincing slightly in the process – and flap them lightly, sending out a light Powder Snow. Charizard shielded himself with own wings, the appendages glowing white as he utilized Steel Wing. "Okay Charizard, you know what to do!" Ash shouted, relying on his Pokémon's trainer-less training in the Charisific Valley to pull through.

The fire dragon rushed through Articuno's fading attack, arms extended in an attempt at a grab. Articuno hopped to the side in a sloppy evasion, but Charizard swung his tail at his foe, nailing the ice bird across one of its wings. Articuno cried in pain, and Charizard took the opportunity to turn around and grab it, performing another half-turn and throwing it against the icy wall.

Articuno screeched as its body collided with the hard surface, and Ash knew it was time to finish up the battle. "Flamethrower!" he shouted. His Pokémon roared, releasing a powerful stream of fire at Articuno which hit head-on, melting the ice surrounding the bird. Charizard cut off the attack after several seconds, allowing Articuno to slump to the ground in a dead faint. Ash threw a Pokéball at it, a little unnerved when it didn't even shake once.

"Well, we should probably get Articuno to a Pokémon Center as quickly as possible," he stated, walking over and picking up the ball as Charizard roared his victory to the sky once again. Misty nodded silently as Ash returned Charizard to his Pokéball with words of praise and congratulations.

"Hey! Ash, Misty!" Both trainers turned to find Brock and Pikachu waving from the opposite shore.

Ash laughed as he waved back. "Brock, Pikachu, you're both okay!"

Misty released Gyarados into the water, climbing aboard with Ash not far behind. The echo of Brock's laughter drifted over them as they sailed closer to their older friend. "Yeah, well, unlike you, I know how to not get lost!"

Ash rolled his eyes as Misty snorted. "Haha, very funny," he retorted.

It only took a minute to dock on the land where Brock and Pikachu were waiting. The electric mouse immediately jumped into Ash's arms with a cry. "We saw the last bit of your battle with Articuno," Brock told his male friend. "That was a pretty nice combo that Charizard pulled off."

The raven-haired trainer rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "Yeah, it worked really well didn't it? Of course, it helped that Primeape did some damage before-hand, and also that Articuno is pretty young, but Charizard did an amazing job too."

Brock nodded as Ash scratched Pikachu behind the ear. "So, Cinnabar next?"

"Yep," confirmed Ash, beginning to walk towards the exit. "We can catch the boat to Knot Island from there to find Moltres." He paused in his stride away from his friends, tilting his head back with an embarrassed expression on his face. "Uh, maybe you should lead the way Brock. You did get down here after all."

As Brock took the lead, Misty muttered, "One of the first good ideas I've heard all day." She followed the two males out, looking forward to getting out of the cold climate of the Seafoam Island underground.

-l-l-l-

**Author's Note:** Sorry everyone, I realize how late this is, but I (unfortunately?) have a busy personal life right now. Obviously this is the reason I don't promise an update schedule, mainly because I do too much to keep it up regularly. The other thing is that I ended up doing a double-update for my other story, which put me a little behind here too. However, I will be doing a double-update for this story, so the next chapter will hopefully be out in 2-3 weeks (assuming nothing else really interferes...)

That's actually it...I think I did okay, and I'm really looking forward to the next 2 chapters. I do apologize again for how late this is, and can only hope I didn't lose too many people.


	6. Fanning the Flames

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Pokémon_.

-l-l-l-

**Day 16**

Brock found himself hard-pressed to remember a more awkward time among the three members of their party.

Misty's Gyarados had made the journey from Seafoam Island to Cinnabar Island smooth and economical, despite an awkward tension Brock sensed between the other two. The trio caught the last ferry – the _S.S. Oceania_ – departing from Cinnabar to Knot Island that evening, and headed straight for their respective rooms. Sleep overcame them almost immediately.

After sleeping in on the first day, Ash and Brock had spent the day at the on-deck pool. Ash had even released Bulbasaur and Wartortle – two of his smallest Pokémon, not to mention oldest, next to Pikachu – to relax on the deck with them; Wartortle and Pikachu, the latter in an inner tube, had swam in the pool as Bulbasaur napped in the sun. Misty's presence, or lack thereof, did not go unnoticed by Brock.

By noon on the second day, Misty had still refused to show her face and Brock knew that he had to act. While Ash napped in the warmth of the sun, the older male had gone and rapped on Misty's door, waiting for permission to enter. The conversation that had followed still rang in Brock's mind.

_Misty opened the door a fraction, peeping through the slit between the door and the frame to identify her visitor. "Oh, hey Brock. Something the matter?"_

_One of Brock's eyebrows arched suspiciously. "I think I should be the one asking you that question," he responded. "We haven't seen you for a day and a half." From the way Misty averted her eye, Brock felt that she must've been somewhat ashamed. "You know, I've always thought of you as a younger sister, having to take care of you and Ash all those years ago," he told her gently. "You can tell me anything…you know that, right?"_

_The red-head hesitated a moment before opening the door, turning around and walking to the bed as Brock followed her inside and closed the door behind him. He grabbed the chair by the desk across from the bed, spun it around and sat in it backwards. Face-to-face, arms crossed on the back of the chair, Brock realized just had badly off his female friend was._

_Misty's eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed, cheeks a blotchy cherry red that provided a stark contrast to her pale skin. "Are you okay?" he asked her as she blew her nose with a tissue._

_A humorless laugh seemed to emanate from her throat. "Do I look okay?" she asked. Brock felt that saying anything was the wrong move, so he wisely kept silent. "Everything just feels like it's falling apart," she sniffled at last._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_The life of a Gym Leader is not nearly as glamorous as it's made out to be," Misty began bitterly. "Don't get me wrong, I love taking care of and being around the Pokémon, but I'm having trouble keeping everything up and running by myself. I have to balance the bills, food, challengers, maintenance, and sleep, and I just can't handle all of it anymore. Not by myself."_

"_You're sisters aren't helpful?"_

_Misty snorted. "Are you kidding? They're more interested in beautification procedures and cosmetics and modeling. Daisy's the next most competent at battling, but even that only allows me to go out every once in a while."_

_She looked down at her lap, hands crossed meekly. "When you and Ash came and told me that we were going on an adventure again, I was so excited. It was finally a chance to get out of the gym for awhile, to be around my best friends…maybe to tell Ash that…" she trailed off._

"_That you love him?" Brock supplied._

_Misty jerked, looking up at him with wide eyes. "H-how –?"_

_Brock shot her a look that said 'are you kidding me?' "I've travelled with you both since the beginning. I always guessed there was something more to your relationship than what you both said, but I knew that Ash would never realize it. I figured that you would eventually figure it out." When Misty didn't say anything, Brock prodded further. "Did something happen with Ash in Seafoam?"_

_When Misty's blue-green eyes looked pointedly away from Brock, he knew he had found the problem. The former Pewter Gym Leader listened intently as his female friend took a deep breath and staggered through the tale of her and Ash's trip._

_At the end of the story, Brock leaned back against the desk and thought about what to say. "Well that explains why you've been avoiding him," he commented at length. "That _would_ be a rather embarrassing situation."_

"_Brock, what do I do?" moaned the red-head._

"_You have to look at it this way," he began, "Ash recognized that you're a girl, and more than that, he sees that he likes someone with your qualities. If you're still interested in pursuing a relationship with him," he continued, noting Misty's blush, "then you're already leagues ahead of other girls. You just have to put yourself out there a bit more, actually make it obvious that you're interested in him. It might be enough to send him the clue that you'd like to be more than friends. You and I both know how thickheaded he can be."_

_Misty fought down a small smile at Brock's statement, the realization that he was right slowly seeping into her scattered brain. "You're right, of course. I need to show Ash what he's missing out on. Still…I need a little more time. Can you just keep him busy for the rest of the cruise? I've got some stuff to do while we're on this ship, and I'd rather just stay away from Ash to help forget about the whole Seafoam situation."_

"_Okay," agreed Brock. "I'll run interference for a bit, but then it's all on you. I'll see if I can start to plant a seedling within Ash's head about all of this, too."_

_The bed shifted as Misty rose from it and embraced the male. "Thanks Brock," she mumbled into his vest. "I don't know what I'd do without you."_

"_Starve," joked the spiky-haired man, putting one arm around Misty. He leaned down and kissed her on the top of the head. "Good luck, sis. You'll need a lot of it."_

The rest of the trip had been rather hectic. While Misty had remained out-of-sight per her desires, Brock had been forced to distract Ash constantly. When the raven-haired Frontier Brain got suspicious about the red-head's absence, Brock would explain that she wasn't feeling too well and to not disturb her.

Of course, keeping Ash busy wasn't a huge problem. Volleyball was the easiest method, the two humans playing both with and against Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Wartortle, Primeape, Sudowoodo, and Croagunk. As if that wasn't enough, the always-open buffet meant that Ash's infamous bottomless pit of a stomach was constantly full and the kitchens were always busy, especially the one instance Snorlax had been allowed to eat his fill.

The Sleeping Pokémon had been prohibited from leaving his Pokéball for the rest of the trip.

After the week of relaxation aboard the ship, the trio had gotten off at Knot Island and began a brisk pace towards the opposite end of the island. Misty and Brock, who had never been to any of the Sevii Islands, had forced Ash to slow down and allow them the opportunity to take in the sights. Both were able to purchase some of the trendy clothing only available in their current region before Ash, fed up with the delays, had forcibly led them away from the populated area with a clipped, "We're skipping the small stuff and heading for the main attraction."

'The main attraction', as Ash had put it, ended up being the Ember Spa, located northeast of Knot Island's main hubbub. Much like Lavaridge Town's hot springs in the Hoenn region, the Ember Spa was rumored to have medicinal and therapeutic properties, the source of the heat coming from the infamous Mt. Ember.

Currently, the hot springs were doing a pretty good job of relieving Brock's stress over the whole situation between Ash and Misty. His elbows were propped behind him on the stones that ringed the spa which he and Ash were relaxing in, Pikachu dog-paddling through the water. Brock opened one eye to spy on his friend, who was attempting to squirt water from between his hands by squeezing them together. Knowing that Misty was in a completely separate pool – currently being harangued by a hydrophobic Psyduck – Brock decided to wheedle out his male friend's opinion on the matter. "Hey Ash, what do you think about Misty?"

Said trainer immediately stopped playing with the water, shooting his friend a confused look. "Whaddya mean?"

Brock rolled his eyes – of course Ash wouldn't get it. "You know…as a…_person_," he stressed, deciding that using the word 'woman' might've been a bit too obvious.

"She's fine," shrugged Ash, completely oblivious to Brock's tone, "things are the way they always were. We travel, we fight, we tease one another…just like the old days. She hasn't changed too much."

_If you only knew,_ thought Brock, resisting the urge to slap Ash for not realizing he had an _amazing_ woman interested in him.

"She was absent for most of the cruise though," Ash mused. "I hope she's okay."

Brock wondered about Ash's interest in Misty as the raven-haired trainer lapsed into silent thought. It was _possible_ that Ash held some sort of affection for the Cerulean Gym Leader, but couldn't recognize it simply because Ash had never dwelled in the realm of romanticism. "Why have you never dated?" Brock asked suddenly.

Ash groaned. "Not you too…" At Brock's raised eyebrow, Ash proceeded to explain, "Misty asked me the same thing when we got trapped at the bottom of Seafoam."

When Ash didn't elaborate, Brock prompted him by saying, "And?"

"I don't date because I never know if the girl is actually interested in me or just after my status and accomplishments."

"You can't tell the difference?"

"Brock, you're talking to the guy who fell for Jessie and James' disguises for close to a decade time and again," Ash explained, his tone one of frustrated exasperation. "I don't want to put myself out there for someone who might not even care. That's why it's just easier to ignore the potential and focus on the Pokémon; they care about me."

"You can't _know_ that they don't care about you if you've never been out with them!" Brock protested.

"Yes, I can," Ash told him. He continued to talk as he rose from the hot spring and wrapped a towel around his body. "The way girls talk about me as if I'm some sort of idol rather than a person, or talk to me about meaningless dribble to boost their own status, like I'll be impressed…I just get tired of it," he finished somewhat coldly.

Brock digested his friend's emotional rant as Ash began to stalk away. "Misty's not like that," he remarked quietly. Ash froze mid-stride, appearing to mull over his older friend's words, then continued walking, Brock's eyes following him all the way.

-l-l-l-

Ash stretched to the sky, yawning loudly as the sun beat down upon Kindle Road. After leaving Brock in Ember Spa he had quickly dressed, habitually donning his white lab coat over his clothes. The Frontier Brain knew that he might've overreacted slightly to Brock's questions, but the repeated focus on his love life (or lack thereof) was a becoming a slight irritant to him. There were three girls whom Ash knew for sure wouldn't date him for his status – May, who was in a committed relationship with Drew; Dawn, who was more of a disciple and friend than anything else; and Misty, his best friend.

The thought of being romantic with Misty struck Ash as slightly absurd, though he couldn't quite place the reason why. He was abruptly pulled from his thoughts as both Misty and Brock appeared, wearing new attire to correspond to the change in climate. Brock had changed into baggy tan shorts and a loose green muscle shirt, showing off his powerful musculature.

As for Misty…

Despite his previous self-reflection, Ash found himself completely immobilized, head vacuous in the presence of his female best friend. Misty was wearing a red bikini top with a sheer sarong of the same color wrapped around her waist, the hem of the fabric catching in the breeze and dancing a tantalizing movement around cream-colored legs. The zephyr also caught Misty's shoulder-length hair – let down from its usual ponytail – and teased the locks, making her look almost ethereal. Ash's eyes raked over her form, noticing the smooth, creamy complexion of her skin (a huge contrast to the white hue he had noticed after capturing Zapdos) and well-toned figure, a swimmer's build from years of running the Cerulean Gym.

_She's…beautiful…_

It suddenly struck Ash that this was one of the few times – if not the first time, he really couldn't recall – that he actually recognized that Misty had indeed grown into womanhood. She was no longer the scrawny runt of the Waterflower Sisters of Cerulean City who had followed him around under the excuse of desiring her bike back; she was a very attractive woman in her mid-twenties who could land any man she wanted.

The thought was both terrifying and enticing, and Ash found himself at a loss to try and explain the mixed emotions.

The raven-haired trainer was shaken from his reverie by his two friends, both of whom were calling his name. Misty had taken a step closer, her blue-green eyes expressing concern, while Brock was standing next to Ash, one hand placed upon his shoulder. "Uh…what?" Ash said dazedly.

"We need you to lead us up to and then through Mt. Ember," reiterated Brock, "seeing as how you're the only one with any knowledge of this place."

Ash nodded distractedly, finally averting his eyes from Misty's figure and taking notice of Brock. "Yeah…okay. Alright, let's go." He took the lead, passing by Misty and walking up the ascending path to Mt. Ember.

Brock followed Ash at a sedate pace, leaning down to whisper, "Well-played," to Misty as he passed by.

Misty turned on her heel to follow Brock, a full-blown smile on her face.

-l-l-l-

The uphill climb from Ember Spa to Mt. Ember was a five mile trek composed of a rough dirt path with rocks littering the area. The temperature rose gradually with the slope of the road, sweat beading on the foreheads of the trio. Misty and Brock were still somewhat comfortable in the 'native' clothing they had purchased, but Ash…

Ash had quickly learned after about a mile and half of walking that the sweltering heat combined with long clothes made for a fairly miserable journey.

After half an hour of travel he stopped by the side of road, Misty and Brock watching in curiosity as he sat on a rock and unlaced his shoes. The pants he currently wore were transformable, the bottom-halves zipping off to become a pair of forest green shorts. After re-shoeing his feet, Ash quickly shed his researcher's lab coat to reveal a dark blue tank top, the coat promptly stuffed into his traveling bag.

It was Misty's turn to be in awe of Ash's physique; her brief glance in Seafoam's basement hadn't done the Frontier Brain justice.

Ash was not built like Brock, who was a relatively solid body of muscle honed after the Pewter Gym's rock-like ideals. The raven-haired male's body was lithe and fit, a combination of sinew and toned musculature that matched the grown-up mental image Misty had created of Ash years prior. He had filled out nicely, the lean physique of his limbs exactly proportional to his taller stature and rounded shoulders.

Misty was glad that the heat of Mt. Ember disguised her rising blush when she realized that Ash had essentially grown up into her dream guy. She felt a bit more justified about dumping her other relationships based off of her feelings for Ash…if only he would _take notice_…

As the trio ascended the side of the mountain the dirt path faded into a rocky road, the wild Pokémon thinning out into those more acclimated to the terrain. A group of Geodude and several Graveler peered down on them from above, while a herd of Ponyta led by a Rapidash galloped up the slope nearby. Once, Ash had to prevent Misty from sitting upon the heated rock that was the shell of a pack of slumbering Magcargo.

It took almost 3 hours for the threesome to reach the yawning entrance that lead to Mt. Ember's interior. The cavern was dimly lit, screeches and rumbles echoing to reach the ears of the party. All three stared into the dark expanse for a moment, allowing the silence to stretch between them, each waiting for the other to speak up about continuing the adventure. "Well, nowhere to go but forward," Ash spoke at last. He swung his pack from its place on his back, reaching into it to produce a cylindrical rod.

Ash gripped the item at each end, cracking it and then shaking it, light emanating from the glow stick. He held up the light, catching sight of Brock rooting around in his pack to produce two more light sticks, tossing one to Misty. Both Gym Leaders followed Ash's example, the raven-haired trainer waiting for affirming nods from his two friends before proceeding into the cavern.

The trip was slow-going; the glow from the light sticks was enough to see by but not by much. Two Slugma seemed to glare at the trio as they passed, and Ash tripped over at least three potholes created by some wayward Ground Pokémon, cursing fluently and alerting Misty and Brock to the danger. It was after 20 minutes of silent travel that the friends approached their first problem – a fork in the path. Misty watched as Ash's head swiveled back and forth, deliberating the correct road to take. "Well?" she prompted after what she felt was an appropriate lapse of time.

Pikachu's ears twitched.

"I'm thinking," Ash told her.

"A novel concept," she muttered.

Pikachu's head swiveled to the left, ears perking upright and entire body straightening to gain better leverage upon Ash's shoulder.

"Hey!" Ash protested, "I think plenty, thank you very much!"

"Since when?"

"Since…I THINK ALL THE TIME!"

Misty opened her mouth to reply, but Pikachu beat her to the punch, jumping off his perch with a cry of "Pika!" and taking off down the left tunnel.

"Pikachu!" cried his trainer, taking off after the electric rodent. Brock and Misty exchanged brief, confused glances before following their friend.

A scant five minute jog brought the three humans to a slightly larger antechamber, Pikachu standing stock still in front of a large boulder. Ash knelt down with his light, revealing the source of Pikachu's abrupt exit.

Trapped beneath the boulder from the chest down was a small red Pokémon with a yellow, spout-like mouth and red bulges atop its head. A black collar could be seen around its neck, and three stubby claws scrabbled for purchase in the hard earth of Mt. Ember. "Bee," moaned the Pokémon, coughing out short bursts of smoke from its mouth.

"Pikachu must've heard this Magby calling for help," Ash surmised quietly. "Brock, help me out here."

"Sure," agreed the breeder, handing Misty his glow stick and crouching down next to Ash. "What's the plan?"

Ash remained quiet, his brown eyes taking in the details of the situation. "Hmm…well, it looks like we need to move this boulder back and then pull Magby out. Pikachu, you'll have to do that." The electric mouse saluted, moving forward and grasping Magby's hands. Ash stood up, Brock following his lead, and both boys set themselves up against the rock. "On the count of three," he stated. "One, two, three!"

The two males pushed with all their might, grunts of exertion echoing in the enclosed space. For a long moment, it didn't look to Misty as if their power was enough. Slowly but surely however, the large stone grated against the ground, Magby's face contorting in pain as its body was scraped and kneaded by the movement.

"Pikachu…pull…" Ash urged through his grunting. His faithful Electric-type began to do just that, struggling with the task of pulling something bigger and heavier than him. Several minutes passed, sweat beading on the foreheads of all involved as the burden of the task took its toll.

Finally, with one last tug, Pikachu yanked Magby free from its confines, the force rolling the two Pokémon across the earth and into the opposite wall. "Chaa," moaned the mouse from his upside-down position against the rock.

Ash flopped to the ground in exhaustion as Misty rushed over to check on him. Meanwhile, Brock fought through his tiredness and crawled over to Magby, pulling out some Pokémon medications and quickly applying them to the Live Coal Pokémon. Pikachu sat up and, noticing that Magby was being tended to, scampered over to his trainer, choosing to climb instead upon Misty's shoulder while Ash recovered.

Five minutes later, Ash, Misty, and Pikachu made their way to Brock, who was putting the finishing touches of a bandage around Magby's right leg. Brock dusted his hands together and stood up. "Well, that's all I can do for now," sighed the breeder. "It doesn't look like this guy was hurt too badly by that boulder; almost as if it were placed instead of falling on top of him."

Ash and Misty let that thought wash over them, but were distracted when Pikachu jumped to the ground and began to converse with Magby. After what appeared to be a very in-depth conversation, Pikachu turned to Ash and began to chatter rapidly. The trainer nodded once, twice, and then questioned somewhat skeptically, "Really?"

"Pi!" affirmed his friend.

Ash shrugged. "If you say so." The male turned to his two human friends. "According to Pikachu, Magby says that he's going to lead us to Moltres."

Both Gym Leaders blinked. "Come again?" Brock managed.

"I'll explain on the way," Ash offered as he passed Brock back his light from Misty. He nodded to the Fire-type, trudging forward in step with Magby. Misty and Brock exchanged glances before following their friend into the darkness. As they walked, Ash proceeded to relate the story that Pikachu had gleaned from Magby.

According to the baby Pokémon, about a month ago he had been wandering around the base of Mt. Ember when a large group of Magcargo had suddenly attacked. He had been chased into a corner and surrounded, failing to shake them. Together the group had cast Rock Slide, the cascade of boulders threatening to crush the tiny Pokémon, when Moltres had appeared and broken through the attack.

The fiery bird had then proceeded to chase away the Magcargo, saving Magby from a potentially terrible fate. Out of sheer gratitude, he had stayed by the legendary's side, acting as the bird's assistant of sorts. The trio of humans wondered absently what a legendary bird would need an assistant for, but chose to ignore the strangeness of the situation.

Magby led them down the right path of a three-way tunnel as Ash continued the story. Earlier today, Moltres had communicated to Magby that he was to lead three humans to the summit. The baby Pokémon had not been told the reason but had complied nonetheless, wandering down to the base of the mountain when a sudden rumbling had shaken the tunnel he was in, rocks breaking loose from the walls.

After being trapped the small Pokémon had cried out for assistance, but the cry for help had gone unheeded until Pikachu had taken notice of Magby's weakening voice. Ash lapsed into silence as he completed the story.

"You mean to tell me," Brock began, disbelief etched clearly in his voice, "that Moltres not only knew when we were coming, but sent a messenger to retrieve us?" Ash could only shrug in response. "You don't find that _at all_ suspicious?"

"Sure do," replied the other male, ducking under a low-hanging stalactite, "but there's no point dwelling on it right now. I've got bigger fish to fry, so to speak."

Brock didn't respond, fuming slightly as Magby continued to show them the way to Moltres. The next 20 minutes of walking was painstaking, the combination of the heat and the incline (not to mention the previous hike to Mt. Ember's base) taking its toll on the humans. "How – much – further?" panted Misty.

"Magby, bee," answered the Live Coal Pokémon, pointing ahead.

"Translation?" gasped Brock.

"I – don't – kno — wait," rescinded Ash. "I see – a light – ahead. Is – that it?" he asked Magby. When the Fire-type nodded his head in confirmation, Ash tossed over his shoulder, "Almost – there!"

Upon their emergence, the group discovered that the sun and heat were nearly unbearable on the summit of Mt. Ember. Even Misty, wearing the least clothing of them all, was sweating buckets; water canteens were pulled out and passed around, heaving gulps taken with fervor. All of their discomfort, however, was immediately forgotten when their eyes alit upon the majestic form of Moltres.

The bird was perched on the highest crag in the area, the top flat enough to roost comfortably. It possessed a thin, yellow body, along with brown talons and a long beak (though not quite the length of Zapdos'). In embodiment to the fire for which it controlled, Moltres' 3-foot tail, foot-and-a-half head crest, and large wings were formed from dazzling red and white flames. As Magby headed for a rocky outcropping, the three humans could only stare as Moltres spread its massive wingspan and opened its beak, releasing a shrill screech.

"Kyaah!"

With the exclusion of Magby, the shriek – for there was little other way to describe it – caused everyone to jump and cover their ears. Compared to Articuno – whose high-pitched coos were melodic and soft – or even Zapdos – whose caws seemed raspy and flat – Moltres appeared to be completely tone-deaf and shrill.

Despite this, Ash knew that Moltres was a dangerous Pokémon. Legendaries were – by nature – creatures to be both feared and respected, and he had accumulated any and all existing data on the three Legendary Birds of his home nation. There was a decent amount of it, all things considered; for as rare as Legendary Pokémon were, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres were perhaps the most commonly sighted of all – a relative term to be sure. Among the three, Moltres was the largest, rarest, and most difficult to track. Ash had no doubt that in a fight, even factoring in Zapdos' type-advantage, Moltres would win.

The Frontier Brain would need to use no small amount of cunning and skill to make this capture.

_Type-advantage will come in handy here,_ he thought, fingering a Pokéball. "Go, Kingler," he called, throwing the sphere forward.

The large crustacean appeared, pumping his arms in a victorious manner. "Kukie kukie," he rasped.

Moltres seemed to take that as its cue. It dived down from its perch and shot a stream of fire at the crab. "Behind the rock!" Ash commanded. Kingler scuttled to the right, finding shelter behind a large stalagmite. Moltres changed its target, aiming for a point mid-way up the rock. The hardened material superheated quickly, Moltres' Flamethrower bursting through the other side in seconds and singeing Kingler's crown-like crest.

Brock and Misty went slack-jawed. Ash took a second to be surprised at the fiery bird's sheer power before realizing that the upper half of the stalagmite was now about to topple over on his Pokémon. "Metal Claw!" he cried instinctively. Kingler's large claw glowed white before he thrust it overhead, shattering the rocky spire without even looking.

Moltres fired another Flamethrower, prompting Ash to yell out, "Counter with your Water Gun!" Kingler shot a stream of water from his mouth, and both elements collided in midair. Steam shrouded the field as the crab's liquid attack was vaporized in an instant.

The battlefield remained silent as the water vapor dissipated slowly. The sound of grinding made its way to Ash's ears, and he realized belatedly that his teeth were grit together in frustration. _Damn._

It took almost a minute before Kingler's form became clear. The large crustacean was favoring his right side, the left half slightly charred by Moltres' last attack. Ash's lower jaw worked itself into a mild frenzy. _Kingler's strength isn't in his special attack, but I was really hoping that it would be enough._ The Frontier Brain was yanked from his thoughts as another fire attack flew towards Kingler.

"What's he trying to do?" Misty whispered to Brock.

"I think," he began, watching carefully as Ash ordered Kingler to use Protect, "that he's trying for the same strategy he used against Zapdos."

Misty watched the battle, noting Ash's use of both Protect and the terrain to have Kingler evade Moltres. "Kingler's tiring though," she observed.

"Yeah," agreed Brock. "Ash needs to make his move, and fast."

"Protect," Ash repeated, Kingler throwing up a shield to block another Flamethrower. The fire was repelled…until it curved around the shield and evolved into a swirling vortex of flame that engulfed the Water-type. _Moltres turned Flamethrower into Fire Spin_, he realized, slightly amazed. "Break free with your Crabhammer!" he called.

The fire in front of Kingler parted and broke as the white orb of Crabhammer smashed through it and flew at the Legendary Bird. The bird veered sharply, screeching in the process as the Fire Spin was disrupted. Then the Flame Pokémon dove at Kingler, wings swept back and talons outstretched.

_Yes!_ "Alright Kingler, just like before!" The Pincer Pokémon readied himself for the inevitable contact, claws ready to grab Moltres. With five feet of space, Kingler reached out to grab Moltres' long beak.

Unfortunately, there were several key differences between Ash's battle with Zapdos and the current battle with Moltres. The first was that Zapdos was injured and temperamental, whereas Moltres was fresh and relatively calm. As if in direct contrast, Kingler was severally weakened, his type-advantage perhaps being his only saving grace to not being knocked out. Then, and perhaps the most important, was that Moltres had a long body, while Zapdos possessed a somewhat stunted physical structure.

If the next move was any indication, the fiery bird knew how to use its body.

As Kingler's claw lashed out, Moltres _arched _its long neck in a loop around the crab's spindly arm, dodging the blunt appendage. The Legendary Bird raked its talons forward, grabbing Kingler's arm and pulling him off the ground. It performed a half-turn, releasing its hold on Kingler and allowing him to sail into a rocky spire almost 50 feet away.

All three trainers winced at the impact, Kingler's body creating a large spider-web of cracks. "Return," said Ash, recalling his Pokémon. "You did your best, Kingler. Thanks. Now," he continued, pulling out a second Pokéball, "you're up Wartortle!"

"Wartortle!" cried the Water-type. Ash smirked a little bit; he still had the type-advantage, plus Wartortle had a bit more distance and power with his water attacks than Kingler did.

"Start this off with a Water Gun," Ash told the turtle. Wartortle fired a jet of water from his mouth which was quickly countered with another Flamethrower. For the second time, steam blanketed the battlefield, but somehow Ash knew that the two attacks had fully cancelled this time.

The repetition of Flamethrower was getting old though.

Despite the ominous silence that pervaded the area, Ash knew Moltres wouldn't wait as long to attack as it did with Kingler. "Okay Wartortle, just use your ears and try to predict where Moltres is coming from," he told the Pokémon from outside the mist. Wartortle didn't respond, but Ash knew that it was due to not giving away his position rather than not hearing his command.

It didn't take long. Wartortle's long, feathered ears twitched, and he jumped to the left in the nick of time as Moltres went soaring past. The bird tried diving-bombing the turtle two more times, each time Wartortle barely escaping the Fire-type's sharp talons.

After failing the third attempt, Moltres lifted high above the dispersing mist and screeched, "Kyaah!" A bright blue sphere of energy formed in front of its body, easily two feet in diameter. With another ear-splitting shriek, Moltres flapped both wings forward and sent the Air Slash into the center of the steam.

Ash blanched at the sight. "Wartortle, Withdraw!" he cried. The wind attack impacted with the ground, blowing away all the mist in one shot. Wartortle was revealed to be nothing but a shell on the ground, having taken cover within just in time.

Before Wartortle or his trainer could react, Moltres proceeded to fire one Flamethrower after another at the shell. The fire attack seemed to do little at first, but after several blasts Ash began to see scorch marks on his Pokémon's protective armor.

The attacks stopped suddenly as the flames of Moltres' wings glowed white. Two small white orbs formed at each wing's midpoint, and when they reached the size of a Pokéball, Moltres launched them both into the air.

The temperature, already unbearably warm, shot up drastically.

Moltres' beak opened wide, the orange energy of a new attack coalescing within its maw. Ash barely had time to react as the most powerful Heat Wave he'd ever seen was shot at his Water-type Pokémon. Fortunately, Ash had instincts honed from years of similar situations. "WATER GUN THE GROUND!" he shouted.

Wartortle popped out of his shell, shooting a strong torrent of water at the earth. The power of the attack shot the Turtle Pokémon into the air, dodging Moltres' Heat Wave. "Now use Rapid Spin!" Ash called. The Water-type flipped head-over-tail to right himself, withdrawing into his shell and then rotating at a rapid pace towards Moltres.

The attack connected, striking Moltres across the chest and eliciting a cry of pain. Wartortle fell to the ground and landed on all fours, smirking up at Moltres. "Wartortle war," he taunted.

A small grin broke out on Ash's face; he had finally hit Moltres. Unfortunately, that attack seemed to ignite the Flame Pokémon's temper.

The Legendary Bird shot yet another Flamethrower at Wartortle, prompting the turtle to seek shelter in his shell. Moltres flapped its powerful wings, controlling the Sunny Day powered attack and forming it into the same swirling vortex that overtook Kingler. Ash could hear Wartortle's grunts of pain from within the fire, prompting a quick, "Hydro Pump!"

Already within his shell, Wartortle began to pump waves of water from each of the holes in his carapace. Combined with his revolving motion, Wartortle managed to douse enough of the fire to escape the vortex and sail towards Moltres as Ash commanded him to use Skull Bash. In challenge, a white aura engulfed Moltres' body, and it dived at the Turtle Pokémon, taking some – diminished, thanks to Sunny Day – damage from the Hydro Pump.

Bird struck turtle in a clash of power, but Moltres' Sky Attack overpowered Wartortle's Hydro Pump-cum-Skull Bash. Ash's Pokémon crashed into the ground back-first, attempting feebly to sit up. As Ash tried to encourage his Pokémon to get up, Moltres' beak opened wide, and a golden-white light formed within.

Neither Ash nor Wartortle had time to react before Moltres fired its attack, the powerful light connecting squarely with the Water-type. As Wartortle cried in pain, Ash realized belatedly that there was nothing he could do.

When the smoke from the blast cleared, Wartortle was lying in a small crater, unconscious and slightly charred. Ash recalled the Turtle Pokémon with a sigh, complimenting him on a well-fought battle. _That was…unexpected,_ he thought dourly.

"Um…what just happened?" Misty asked. Brock could only shake his head in a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

It was Ash who answered instead. "Moltres," he paused, as if to make sure what he was saying was true, "can apparently use Solarbeam." He fingered a third Pokéball absently as Misty's mouth formed an 'o' in understanding.

"That's an advantage," she commented.

"Moltres has the Sunny Day/Solarbeam combo to compensate for its weakness to Water Pokémon," Brock elaborated somewhat unnecessarily. "I don't think 'advantage' begins to describe it." The strength of the sunlight decreased as Brock spoke, and Ash's fingers twitched, moving to a different Pokéball. "Ash is out of Water Pokémon though, so the real question is who he's going to use next."

"Charizard?" Misty guessed.

Brock could only shrug. "Probably the best option, all things considered. If Moltres uses Sunny Day again, it becomes advantageous for both it and Charizard; plus, Charizard matches Moltres type-for-type, and probably in strength too."

"Go!" shouted Ash.

The two Gym Leaders watched as a form that was most definitely _not_ Charizard formed.

"Snorlax," grunted the Sleeping Pokémon, appearing from his Pokéball awake and ready to battle.

"Um…" attempted Misty, raising a finger in question and then failing to continue it.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to use Snorlax, Ash?" tried Brock. "Moltres can kind of…fly…"

"Gee, really?" Ash returned sarcastically. "I wasn't aware of this fact," he added, gesturing fiercely to the fiery bird hovering in midair. "Don't worry, I have a plan." Brock – mouth open in protest – shut it at this announcement, deciding that his friend knew what he was doing.

Moltres, apparently tired of the banter, began the battle with Flamethrower. The stream of fire hit Snorlax's body…and dispersed upon contact. Suddenly, Brock understood Ash's strategy.

"Thick Fat," Ash mentioned, "halves the power of all fire attacks used on Snorlax." He turned back to the battle just in time for another Flamethrower to bounce of his giant Pokémon. "Hyper Beam!" he ordered. Snorlax opened his large mouth, quickly creating and loosing the golden-yellow energy of his Hyper Beam.

The attack struck the stunned Moltres squarely, evoking a high-pitched screech. While Snorlax had to regain his energy from the attack, Moltres recovered quicker than expected and used Sunny Day again. The Legendary Bird of Fire followed up by preparing another Heat Wave and launching it at Snorlax.

Snorlax – recovered from his Hyper Beam – took the attack head-on, grunting as the heat licked his thick body, the power boost from Sunny Day making the fire attack more effective. "Ride it out Snorlax!" Ash encouraged.

The Sleeping Pokémon's determination rose, and he stomped his feet. With a cry of "Lax!" he broke through the attack. Moltres cut off the attack and immediately used Solarbeam; Ash's friends became somewhat nervous, Snorlax's Thick Fat useless against grass attacks.

Fortunately, Ash was prepared. "Ice Punch with everything you've got Snorlax!" he shouted. Ice crystallized on the giant Pokémon's right hand, and at the last moment, he swung.

To everyone's surprise – except perhaps Ash's (and both Misty and Brock marveled at how he could remain so calm) – the Solarbeam _reflected_ off of Snorlax's punch, rebounding at an increased speed and striking Moltres in the wing.

"Mega Punch!"

And Snorlax jumped.

Misty hadn't seen Snorlax jumped like that since the Silver Conference, when he had leapt into the air to deliver a crushing Ice Punch to Gary's Nidoqueen. It was a time so long ago that she had completely forgotten the giant Pokémon _had_ the ability to jump. And luckily, with its failed attack hitting its wing, Moltres had started to lose height.

Snorlax met Moltres almost 50 feet above the ground, his fist glowing pure white. The Sleeping Pokémon swung, hitting Moltres in the back and sending the Legendary Bird into the ground.

Ash would admit that Kingler had been able to down Zapdos with a swift two move combination based largely on luck. The crustacean was a powerhouse when it came to physical attacks, and his failure to hit the more even-tempered Moltres – while not a huge shock – was still somewhat disappointing. But Kingler had _nothing_ on Snorlax.

And now Snorlax was positioned for his trademark attack. "Body Slam!" Ash cheered.

Ash had good reason to be excited. In most normal situations, Body Slam was a powerful move in its own right. Coming from a half-ton Pokémon suspended at least 40 feet in the air?

Ash caught the fearful widening of Moltres' eyes seconds before Snorlax's body impacted with it.

The ground shook from the collision, causing Ash and company to practically bounce several inches off the earth. When Snorlax rolled off the Legendary Bird and stood up, Moltres was out cold. Ash threw a Pokéball at it half-heartedly, a bit remorseful at the damage he ended up causing. He hadn't wanted to hurt Moltres – or any of the Pokémon – so badly, but he supposed that they must've known the risk when they issued the challenge.

Ash walked over to the Pokéball and leaned down to pick it up when a gout of flame startled him. He looked up to see Magby running towards them, his expression angry. Pikachu leapt in front of the charging Pokémon, gibbering in quick Pokémon-tongue an explanation for Moltres' capture.

Magby calmed down slightly but retained a somewhat mistrustful expression on his face. Brock knelt down next to the small Pokémon, placing a hand over the bandage wrapped around Magby's midsection. "If you're really that worried about Moltres, you could come along with us," Brock offered. The small Fire-type's head seemed to swivel between Moltres' Pokéball and Brock's placating hand in indecision. At length he locked eyes with Brock and nodded, touching the button on the Pokéball Brock procured and disappearing in a beam of red light.

Ash sighed in relief and picked up Moltres' Pokéball, glad to have averted a crisis. He grinned at Brock before turning his attention to Snorlax. "Nice job buddy. You really came through for me there."

"Lax snorlax," asserted the Sleeping Pokémon.

The Frontier Brain was about to respond, but suddenly found that he couldn't speak. He tried to move to return Snorlax to his Pokéball, but his body wasn't obeying his commands. From his peripheral vision, he noticed Brock and Pikachu encased in a glowing blue aura; a similar power covered his entire body as well.

Before he could even consider what was going on, Mt. Ember vanished.

Seconds later, Ash was staring at a large, vacuous indoor arena, the blue glow no longer surrounding him. The suddenness of everything caused him to stumble, and he fell to his knees before he could regain his balance. Then…

_[Ash Ketchum…we meet again]_

-l-l-l-

**Author's Note: **It appears that my estimation was a bit off...I think I miscalculated how much time I would have to devote to my night class, the school Yearbook, and other things. Needless to say, my free time disappeared rather quickly and has been non-existent over the past several weeks. I also had a bit of a family crisis...my dog had to be put down and my grandmother died of cancer while I was 3,000 miles away, so I also had to fly home for the funeral mid-week; I'm okay, but my month has been rather hectic. And...I should probably be studying for my Bio test right now, but I spent all last night and 2 hours this afternoon finishing up this chapter for you guys. Considering my mental state, I'd say I did a pretty good job. Please let me know what you think of this chapter...I have no idea when the next one will be out, but it will be an interesting one to write.

Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate the kind words on my writing. My best friend actually left an anonymous review and I didn't realize it was him until I told him about it. Funny situation, that was. Anyway, just wanted to say that I appreciate all the effort you all put into leaving me feedback. Thanks again!


	7. Attack of the Clones

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Pokémon_.

-l-l-l-

**Day 16**

_[Ash Ketchum…we meet again]_

Able to move again, Ash crawled to his feet and looked up. Standing over 100 feet away was a vaguely humanoid figure with several feline features. The figure was tall – well over six feet – and completely covered in grey skin, barring a purple belly which led into a long, royal purple tail. Intelligent indigo eyes were set in a cat-like face devoid of a mouth, and the creature possessed hands and feet which only had three rounded nubs for digits. Two short extensions – almost like stunted horns – were the creature's ears, standing only a couple inches above its skull, and a tube-like piece of flesh connected the base of its skull to its spine. "Mewtwo!" Ash exclaimed.

_[Ash, Misty, Brock]_ greeted Mewtwo, _[Welcome to New Island]_

The trio looked around. They were in a huge room with a domed ceiling hundreds of feet above their heads. Pillars bearing light were spaced every 50 feet, and several pools jutted out from the walls, their contents spilling out into a network of water streams. Mewtwo stood on a large circular slab of concrete in a pool positioned in the middle of the room. "How did we even get here?" Misty asked.

_[That would be my doing]_ A small metal discus came shooting into the room, levitating 10 feet above the ground in front of Mewtwo. The device created a projection which extended to the floor, displaying Ash's battle in the abandoned Power Plant. Ash, Misty, and Brock watched as Kingler caught Zapdos' beak and slammed the Electric-type into the ground. The screen flickered to an aerial view of Charizard versus Articuno, where the lizard-like Pokémon threw the bird into a wall and then hit it with a burst of fire. The image changed again, depicting Snorlax's final crushing victory over Moltres. Finished, the device zipped away from where it came. _[I have been keeping an eye on your battles. When I saw you had captured Moltres, I teleported you here]_ Mewtwo explained. _[I am quite impressed with how you defeated Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres]_

Ash opened his mouth to say something, but a resounding _thud_ shook the floor and caused the three humans and Pikachu to jump. They whirled around to see Snorlax, flat on his back and snoring peacefully. A large sweat-drop rolled down Ash's temple before he recalled the large Pokémon to his Pokéball.

"Wait a minute," said Brock, recovered from Snorlax's collapse. "To have planted those devices you must have actually gone to all those places." Mewtwo nodded. "Then you're the one who planted that electronic locking mechanism in the Power Plant," he concluded matter-of-factly.

Misty caught on quickly. "The thin ice in Seafoam Island! That was you too, wasn't it?" she accused.

"And Magby being trapped under the boulder," Brock rounded out.

Mewtwo remained silent for a long moment. _[Yes]_ he admitted, _[I will not deny that I played a role in each of those scenarios. I installed the locking mechanism in the Power Plant. I made the path through Seafoam Island more treacherous and challenging. And I used telekinesis to place that boulder on top of Moltres' messenger]_

"…But why?"

Mewtwo's gaze shifted to Ash, whose voice had gone soft. _[Tests]_ he said finally. _[Tell me, what do you know of this challenge you've embarked on?]_

Ash shrugged. "Not much…just that I've been allowed the opportunity to go around and face all the different Legendary Pokémon."

_[While an accurate assessment, there are more agendas here than meet the eye. Let me enlighten you as to some of the more hidden depths of this challenge._

_ [It seems to be clear that you are the Chosen One, the human destined to bring peace and unification to this chaotic world in which we live. However, there are several skeptics among the Legendaries who don't necessarily believe that you deserve the title of Chosen One, or in fact are even that human]_

"Are you one of them?" Ash interrupted.

Mewtwo shook his head. _[No. From the information I have gathered and from my own experience and observations, I believe you have the capabilities that would be required in the Chosen One]_

"Then what was the purpose of these so-called 'tests'?"

_[Allow me to explain something of the hierarchy of the Legendaries. Within each region there are the renowned Legendary Pokémon, creatures of power and abilities who are viewed as deities of sorts by their citizens. As you well know, here within Kanto people worship the trio of Legendary Birds – the icy Articuno, the fiery Moltres, and the electrifying Zapdos – and Mew, container of the DNA of every other Pokémon. However, there is still a pecking order that exists]_

Mewtwo seemed to pull himself up proudly, straightening his spine just a fraction. _[I happen to be the elected leader of the Kanto region. Ho-oh is at the top of the Johto Legendaries, Rayquaza is in charge of Hoenn, and Cresselia oversees Sinnoh. At the very top is Arceus, who has proven himself capable of exerting the most control over all of the others. It was Arceus' idea to set forth this difficult challenge. After deliberation within our respective spheres of influence, Ho-oh and I voted in favor, Rayquaza against, and Cresselia remained neutral._

_[As I have already told you, I believe that you are the true Chosen One. That said, I tested you for two purposes: to see how sharp your skills were and to see if you had changed from the teenager I met so long ago._

_ [I must warn you that Rayquaza's negative vote means that you are likely to undergo many challenges in the Hoenn region; the same may hold true with Cresselia's neutrality, though probably to a lesser extent. Back to your question though – I revitalized and reprogrammed the electronic lock leading to Zapdos to test your ability in dealing with unexpected obstacles; though I'll admit that befriending a Magnemite whose assistance you could use to bypass the system was…unplanned._

_ [There was very little I had to do within the Seafoam Islands. Articuno keeps its realm very perilous as it is. I had Articuno help me cover up some small pitfalls and create false trails to test your navigation and physical prowess]_

"That was hardly a small pitfall we fell through!" Misty shot at him.

_[Ah_, _well, unfortunate though that situation was, I'm afraid that it was also a complete accident. All of the traps that I had planned were set later on down the path]_

Brock's eyebrow twitched violently at this revelation – _he_ had stumbled upon all of those traps with Pikachu while they traveled down to the basement of Seafoam to meet Ash and Misty.

"What about Magby?" Ash asked, quite intrigued with the explanations.

_[My own, personal test] _Mewtwo conceded. He seemed to take a great, shuddering breath of air, the sound echoing in Ash, Misty, and Brock's minds. _[A long time ago, when we met, you proved yourself to be a unique individual who cared about any Pokémon – cloned or not – that you met. I wanted to know if you still possessed that capacity, and so placed the boulder on top of that Magby to test your personality]_

There was a long moment of silence as Ash digested all he had just been told. "Okay," he said at last, "let's say that I believe that your intentions were all good. Why did you bring us here? I had to find and travel to Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres on my own; why not you too?"

_[Did you have any idea where I was?] _Mewtwo asked, bemused.

"Well…no, but –"

_[Then it only seems logical that I bring you to me. I have judged your worth, Ash Ketchum, and you are the only one with the capacity to ever claim to be my trainer. And it only seems fitting that our last fight takes place at the location of our first meeting]_

"First meeting?" chorused the trio. "But we didn't meet you until Mt. Quena," continued Ash, confused.

_[Yes, about that…]_ Mewtwo pointed one three-fingered hand at the trio, his eyes glowing a deep blue.

"What are you –" Ash began, but then broke off as images flashed before his eyes.

A great storm raged as three trainers – a boy on a Pidgeot, a girl on a Dewgong, and a second boy on a Gyarados – braved the torrential waters to reach their destination.

Black Pokéballs materialized from thin air, roaming the room they were in and capturing all the Pokémon present.

A cloned Pikachu followed Ash's Pikachu, continually slapping him and crying for the real one to fight back, to put up some sort of defense.

Memories hit Misty and Brock like a lightning strike: both could clearly recall a young Ash running in-between a clashing Mew and Mewtwo, taking two psychic blasts head-on and turning to stone. They remembered the emptiness of thinking their best friend had suddenly perished in the midst of a war he wasn't part of; the joy of seeing the petrified body turn into tanned flesh once more as tears of all the Pokémon revived the boy.

As all three – and Pikachu – watched memories from 15 years past, the wall behind Mewtwo split apart and opened outwards. It revealed another huge room with the typical battlefield design – a large rectangle with a Pokéball design in the center – embedded in the ground. _[Let the conclusion of this first stage of your challenge begin!]_ Mewtwo boomed.

The trainers all moved forward to enter the second room, minds preoccupied with their returned memories. Mewtwo moved to the trainer's box on the opposite end of the field, prompting Ash to awareness. "Wait…I'm not fighting you?"

_[Perhaps]_ he replied. _[It depends on how you perform in my challenge]_

Ash groaned. "I thought I just _passed_ your challenge."

Mewtwo's mouth quirked upwards in what could be considered a smile. _[That was to see if you were still the same person that I remembered you were; a personality test, you could say. This –] _he spread his arms wide, _[– is my __**battle**__ challenge]_

"Fine," huffed the Frontier Brain, "Whatcha got for me?"

_[Fifteen years ago, I believed that Pokémon were foolish for allying themselves with humans. As a result, I cloned all the Pokémon that were available at the time, with the intention that they would defeat the originals. It was argued that in barring their special abilities, the originals would defeat the clones, but that obviously did not pan out]_

The Genetic Pokémon smirked. _[I'm curious to see how the rematch would go]_

"…You want to fight clone versus original?" Ash checked.

_[Yes]_ confirmed Mewtwo. _[Three on three, no substitutions. I have already decided who we will use. Our battle will depend upon your performance during this challenge]_

Ash nodded. "Fine," he agreed. Misty and Brock took up places just behind Ash as their friend reached to his belt. "I guess it's your move."

A hole opened in the floor, the mechanical whir of a rising platform sounding in the arena. When the platform settled even with the ground, a small blue Pokémon with darker blue spots and a large green bulb on its back sat in the middle of the battlefield. "Bulba!" cried the Pokémon.

Ash grinned slightly. Provided that the memories Mewtwo had returned were indeed true, the Psychic-type had only cloned Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charizard, all of whom had grown much stronger since they were copied 15 years ago. The trainer grabbed his own Bulbasaur's Pokéball and tossed it out onto the battlefield. The Seed Pokémon appeared with a cry and then sniffed the air. A confused expression crossed his features and he turned to face Ash. "Saur bulbasaur, bulba," he told his trainer.

"I know," Ash told the small dinosaur, "that's your clone." The Grass-type shot him a skeptical look but didn't say anything else.

_[Brock, would you be willing to referee the match?] _Mewtwo inquired.

"Sure," shrugged the breeder. The darker-skinned male stepped around Ash and walked the boundary of the arena to the midpoint. He glanced from Mewtwo to Ash and then back again. "Begin!"

"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!" Ash commanded. Two thick green vines appeared from under the bulb on the creature's back and rocketed forward. The other Bulbasaur copied the move, sending out two vines which met in the center of the field and nullified the attack. "Razor Leaf," he called. This time, a mass of leaves appeared from under the bulb; the other Pokémon repeated the movement, and the leaves clattered to the floor, shredded.

Ash growled in frustration, and he could hear his Grass-type echoing his own feelings with a growl of his own. Testing a theory, Ash chose not to give Bulbasaur a command, waiting a full minute to see if his opponent would do anything. When Bulbasaur's clone didn't move, Ash's temper rose. "_Hey!_" he shouted at Mewtwo. "You can't just copy all of my Pokémon's moves!"

_[I'm not doing anything]_ Mewtwo informed him. _[The cloned Pokémon I'm using are not under my command. Rather, they fight with what they already know or observe. If Bulbasaur is copying your techniques, then he is doing it removed from my control. Enjoy]_

This new information caused Ash to scowl. If all of the clones copied his strategies, then the battle would surely result in some form of a stalemate. That, however, seemed to defeat the purpose of the challenge…especially since Mewtwo must hold the belief that on some level Ash had the capacity to win.

Unfortunately, Ash would have to use his attacks with a decent amount of cunning, something that he wasn't sure he could do. Sure, he had learned over the years how to battle better with his Pokémon, but plotting moves two or three steps ahead of time was still something he was not known for excelling in, let alone desirous of doing. He gave out the Strategy Symbol to trainers who could successfully utilize the environment to their advantage, not to those who could plan ahead. And on the flat, boring battlefield upon which Ash was currently engaged, that advantage was all but null.

Bulbasaur, known more for his stubbornness and fighting spirit, was apparently tired of waiting. With a battle shout, he launched another Razor Leaf at his clone. This time, instead of countering with another Razor Leaf, two vines shot out and dispersed the leaves before continuing towards Ash's Pokémon. The Seed Pokémon cried out in surprise as the vines wrapped around his body and proceeded to slam him repetitively into the ground. "Bul-ba, bul-ba, bul-ba," he grunted with each new impact.

"Ash, do something!" Misty cried.

"I'm thinking!" he snapped back. "Use Leech Seed, Bulbasaur!"

Despite the beating, Ash's Pokémon concentrated long enough to shoot a glowing brown seed across the arena. It hit the clone on his trademark bulb, sprouting springy vines with leaves which wrapped around Mewtwo's Pokémon. Bulbasaur's clone cried out as the vines glowed crimson and began to suck energy from him. The surprise attack was enough to end the modified Vine Whip/Slam combo, leaving a bruised and angry Bulbasaur on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked him. The dinosaur shook himself off and responded in the affirmative, prompting Ash to think. The move the other Bulbasaur had just pulled off resonated within him, drudging up the memory of a strangely marked Venusaur doing the same thing – only it _ended_ the battle by throwing a normal-looking Venusaur against the wall.

The only answer Ash could think of was to have Bulbasaur – and subsequently, his other Pokémon – fight essentially by himself. By allowing his Pokémon to fight their own battles, perhaps instinct mixed with Ash's prior influence would prompt them all to victory. He sighed before telling the grass starter, "You're pretty much on your own, buddy. Do your best."

"Bulba!"

By this time, Bulbasaur's clone had used Razor Leaf to dispatch the Leech Seed. Two pairs of red eyes stared each other down across the field. Bulbasaur pawed the ground before letting out a shout and charging. Bulbasaur's clone also charged, both Grass-types meeting in the middle and butting heads. There was a cry from both parties as they jumped apart, growled at each other, and then attacked again.

The exchange of attacks went on for awhile, Ash silently gritting his teeth the whole time. Leaves littered the floor from failed Razor Leaf attacks, and both Bulbasaur were wearing themselves out with constant Tackles and Double-Edges. Ash knew that if his Bulbasaur could pull of a Solarbeam, the fight would probably be over. Unfortunately, with no sunlight in the room, the time it would take to gather the energy for said attack would be too long without having the Grass-type's clone interrupting.

Gazing at Bulbasaur's trademark bulb, Ash had an idea. "Bulbasaur, try shooting a Sleep Powder as high as you can!" he called. The Seed Pokémon grunted in confusion but did as he was bade, sending a glittering blue cloud of the powder high into the air. "Now grab him with your vines!" The two thick green creepers lashed out and grabbed the cloned Pokémon. Wary, the other Bulbasaur wrapped his own vines around the original, putting the two at a stalemate.

Ash thought quickly. "Sweet Scent!" Bulbasaur tried angling his body, building up enough slack in the vines to aim his bulb closer to his opponent's head. An eruption of pink powder hit the cloned Grass-type in the face. The vines holding Ash's Bulbasaur loosened as a dreamy expression crossed the other Pokémon's face. "Now Bulbasaur, throw him through the Sleep Powder and as far away as you can!"

"SAAAAUUR!" yelled Bulbasaur, giving a mighty heave and doing as his trainer bade. Mewtwo's Bulbasaur flew through the sleeping agent and across the battlefield.

Bulbasaur breathed in and out as Ash gave the command to jump back (to avoid the falling Sleep Powder) and charge up a Solarbeam. White energy collected at the small opening in the bulb on the Pokémon's back. Ash watched in tense silence as the opposing Bulbasaur struggled to stand through the combination of Sweet Scent and Sleep Powder. His gaze drifted to his own exhausted Grass-type, Bulbasaur's breath coming in short pants. _If Solarbeam doesn't work, Bulbasaur's not gonna have enough energy to continue battling. I hope this works._

The cloned Bulbasaur got to his feet, releasing a salvo of Razor Leaf at the original. Ash's Bulbasaur jumped into the air, unleashing the built up solar energy. He fell to the ground with a cry as his Solarbeam connected with his clone. Smoke engulfed the battlefield from the collision.

When the dust cleared, Ash's Bulbasaur could be seen with several cuts, having been clipped by multiple leaves from his clone's last attack. His opponent was struggling to rise to all fours. Ash's heart leapt into his throat as vines emerged from underneath the bulb and moved towards Bulbasaur. Partway there, the creepers stopped moving and the Grass-type collapsed, the culmination of attacks proving too much for him.

"Bulbasaur is unable to battle! Ash and his Bulbasaur win!" announced Brock.

_[You need not be so obnoxiously announcer-like] _Mewtwo jabbed with a tiny smile. _[This hardly constitutes an official Pokémon League battle, let alone a Battle Frontier challenge]_

"Sorry," Brock apologized, "force of habit I suppose." The Genetic Pokémon nodded, his eyes glowing blue in conjunction with the cloned Bulbasaur's body before the small dinosaur disappeared from the field.

His opponent gone, Bulbasaur slumped to his belly and moaned; Ash smiled lightly. "That was great buddy, you deserve a long rest." Bulbasaur disappeared into his Pokéball with a half-hearted grumble of appreciation. "So who's next?" he demanded, fingers twitching next to Charizard's Pokéball.

The mechanical sound of a moving platform sounded again, Ash mentally debating between Charizard and Pikachu. His jaw dropped slightly when the Pokémon that appeared was a white- and tan-colored bird with red tail feathers and a large red and yellow crest atop its head. It stood proud and majestic atop its talons, preening a wing without a care in the world.

Ash pointed at Mewtwo in a mixture of surprise and anger. "You never cloned my Pidgeot!" he accused. "In fact, my Pidgeotto didn't even evolve until after I met you!"

_[True]_ agreed the cloned Pokémon, _[however, one of the other trainers rode a Pidgeot to the island when we first met. And I'm aware that you have a Pidgeot on you. While I'm sure watching two Charizard battle it out – __**again**__ – would be highly interesting, I have little doubt that yours would win. On the other hand, I'm curious to see how you face this new, unexpected challenge]_

"Fine," Ash growled. "Pidgeot, go!"

The Bird Pokémon appeared in a flash of light. "Pidjoh!" she crowed. Pidgeot glared fiercely at the cloned Pokémon, her sharp eyes entering a staring contest with the other bird. On the ground, Ash could see that his Flying-type – topping out at a surprisingly tall 5'9" – outclassed the cloned version by almost half a foot. Ash wasn't sure if the size difference would come in handy, especially considering he hadn't had a chance to battle with Pidgeot yet, but he supposed he'd take whatever theoretical advantage he could get.

Brock's head swiveled from one Pokémon to the other. "Round two, begin!" At that, both aviary Pokémon spread their wings and took flight.

Ash decided that perhaps directing Pidgeot would be better than letting the bird fight for herself. Bulbasaur had been under his guidance long enough that he had learned to fight strategically; Pidgeot had not, and he was afraid that instincts might only get her so far in this battle. "Alright Pidgeot, start off with Tackle."

The Bird Pokémon flapped twice and sped towards the clone with a screech. The cloned Pidgeot's wings spread wide and then glowed white, a storm of white feathers cascading from the appendages and striking Ash's Pokémon. Under the assault of the Featherdance, Pidgeot was forced to veer off-course to avoid taking more of the attack.

Ash hesitated momentarily as Pidgeot righted herself. "Try again," he told his Pokémon. Pidgeot moved in for a second Tackle, the cloned Pidgeot preparing another Featherdance. As the feathers neared his Pokémon, Ash called, "Blow 'em away with a Whirlwind!"

Pidgeot flared and beat her powerful wings, sending a strong gust of wind at her opponent's attack. The Featherdance was disrupted, prompting Ash to shout, "Use Tailwind, then hit it with a Wing Attack!"

The Bird Pokémon crowed in reply, her tail feathers glowing white. With a burst of speed from Tailwind, Pidgeot rocketed forward and struck the other Pidgeot with a wing before the clone could react. Pidgeot soared away, but the clone recovered, flapping its wings and sending a Gust at the larger Pokémon. Ash tried calling for his Pokémon to dodge, but the wide range of the Flying-type attack prevented Pidgeot from fully evading the strike.

Ash grimaced as Pidgeot regained equilibrium in midair and hovered there, awaiting further instruction. _Okay, so it looks like Pidgeot could land a hit so long as we rely on speed. The bad news is that using Tailwind again might not be a viable option, now that the other Pidgeot knows about it. Add that to the fact that Featherdance lowered Pidgeot's attack – her second best asset after her speed – and the Wing Attack probably didn't do as much as I would've liked. Time for a new strategy._ "Alright Pidgeot, let's try an Air Slash!"

As Pidgeot formed a blue sphere of condensed wind, the Pidgeot clone shot towards her, faster than Ash expected. The Frontier Brain did some rough analysis of the impending impact, and realized that Pidgeot didn't have time. "Attack now!" he cried desperately. Pidgeot loosed the partially-formed Air Slash, sending an attack slightly larger than Ash's head at his foe.

Mewtwo's Pidgeot performed a barrel-roll, avoiding the weak attack and homing in on its opponent. It struck the larger bird's chest in a clash of feathers, and Ash could hear his Pidgeot screech in pain. Neither bird broke away, instead engaging in a fierce tussle of talons, beaks, and feathers in midair. Ash tried telling Pidgeot to stop, calling to her several times, but the Bird Pokémon refused to listen.

A gentle hand rested on his shoulder. "Pidgeot's too incensed to listen to you right now, Ash," Misty said quietly. "I think it's more a battle of pride now. Let Pidgeot fight the battle on her own."

Ash's eyes strayed from the aerial battle to Misty's hand, the smooth, creamy appendage resting comfortably upon his nearly-bare shoulder. "Okay," he agreed softly, raising his head and meeting her soft cerulean orbs with his own. She smiled at him, and a strange bubbling sensation rolled in his belly. The moment to ponder the sensation was lost when he noticed Misty shiver; chocolate eyes raked over the arm nearest him and saw gooseflesh. "You're cold," he noted.

Misty seemed to take notice of this as well, quickly withdrawing her hand and hugging herself. "Yeah, a little. As good as a swimsuit is for comfort in the blazing hot paths of Mt. Ember, it's not really designed for air-conditioned, spacious hideouts," she mentioned wryly.

Ash knelt down next to his bag, rooting around inside and standing up with his lab coat. "Here," he said, placing the article of clothing around Misty's shoulders. The red-head grabbed the edges of the coat and held it snuggly so it covered her body. She immediately felt warmer, whether from the extra clothes or the heat rising to her face from Ash's gesture she wasn't sure.

"Thanks," she whispered, looking up slightly to see his face. The raven-haired trainer found he could only nod mutely. They might have stayed in that position for awhile if Misty hadn't caught sight of the aerial battle out of her periphery. "Oh no, Pidgeot!" she gasped.

The bird's trainer snapped to attention; Pidgeot was currently plummeting to the ground in free fall while her opponent remained airborne, if worse for wear. "What happened?" Ash asked aloud.

_[Ah, so you're no longer blinded by your mate] _commented Mewtwo loftily. Ash and Misty both flushed slightly at the insinuation, but Mewtwo continued talking before either could retort. _[Your Pidgeot broke off and started firing Air Slashes at mine. In return, my Pidgeot dodged them by using Agility and then tackled yours while she was forming another attack. And then you returned to the battle]_

"Wake up Pidgeot!" Ash pleaded. The Bird Pokémon's eyes snapped open and she spread her wings, catching herself and alighting clumsily on the ground. Ash heaved a sigh of relief. _That could've been worse._ Pidgeot adjusted herself, settling into a sitting position before her body glowed green. Ash grinned. _I forgot about Roost!_ "Alright Pidgeot, keep it goin'!"

Unfortunately, the cloned Pidgeot wasn't going to give Ash's Pokémon the opportunity to heal. The smaller bird flapped its wings several times, creating a might tornado which it directed at the healing Pidgeot. The Twister caught Pidgeot in the middle of roosting and swept her up with a screech of indignation and pain.

Trapped in the vortex, Pidgeot could do nothing as her foe prepared a large Air Slash and threw the blue sphere straight at her. It drove through the Dragon-type attack and struck Pidgeot squarely, causing the bird to shriek, "Pidjoh-joh-joh-joh-joh!" as her body was battered by the Flying-type attack. Ash watched with sad eyes as the winds died down, allowing Pidgeot to succumb to gravity and hit the ground with a _thud_.

Brock raised his left hand. "Pidgeot is unable to battle, so Mewtwo and his Pidgeot win."

At this announcement, Mewtwo teleported the Pidgeot clone from the field as Ash returned his Flying-type to his Pokéball. "You gave it your all. Thanks Pidgeot."

_[It appears that we are tied]_ Mewtwo stated needlessly. _[This battle shall determine whether or not you pass my challenge. Are you ready?]_

Ash gulped; he wasn't sure what would happen if he failed Mewtwo's challenge, but he was sure he didn't want to find out. He had insurance which might counteract any of the cloned Pokémon's plans, but without knowing what those were it was hard to gauge how far said insurance would go.

Mewtwo seemed to take the trainer's silence as a yes. _[It is time]_ Mewtwo called. A third motorized platform rose to reveal the very sight Ash dreaded seeing: a Pikachu.

It wasn't necessarily that Pikachu couldn't defeat his clone – Ash had great confidence in his best friend as far as _that_ went – but if the memories Mewtwo had returned were anything to go by, Pikachu was very unwilling to attack his clone.

Surprisingly enough, Pikachu jumped into the arena. "Pika, chu pikachu pi-chu pi?"

"Pi-ka, chu-pi-pi, kachu," responded the clone, letting off some sparks from his cheeks.

Pikachu turned around and shot Ash a thumbs-up. "Chu, pikapika!"

Misty nudged Ash lightly. "What'd he say?"

"Pikachu says that the other Pikachu is doing this because he wants to, not because he's being forced to like last time. So Pikachu's okay with battling him," Ash replied, somewhat awed. He quickly shook it off and pumped his fist high into the air. "Alright Pikachu, let's show Mewtwo just how much we've improved since we met!"

"Pi-ka!"

"Begin!" sounded Brock's voice.

Ash wasn't even able to get a word out before the other Pikachu released a Thunderbolt. Pikachu jumped to the side to avoid the bolt, stood on his hind legs to avoid the second, and then twirled and bent awkwardly to dodge the third. The Mouse Pokémon gasped in surprise with each missed attack, and Ash was torn between smiling and frowning.

Like Bulbasaur, Pikachu possessed the capacity – and it could be argued an even _greater_ capacity – to battle without Ash's direction. All things considered, it was a fortunate ability to have, especially considering the maneuverability Pikachu was being forced to pull off in lieu of his clone's continuous attacks.

Ash watched as Pikachu got stuck in a position where he couldn't dodge. "Turn it into a Thunder," Ash advised. Pikachu absorbed his opponent's attack into his tail, flinching as he did. Electricity danced along his body and built up in the red sacs in his cheeks. "Chuuuuu!" he cried, unleashing the powerful attack from his body. Mewtwo's Pikachu dodged the majority of the electric attack, but several of the outlying bolts struck him. Both of the Electric-types were forced to pause as they recovered from the other's assault.

In retrospect, Ash had had better ideas. Electric attacks wouldn't be as effective against either Pokémon, but there would still be some residual damage. Unfortunately, with such a small time frame to consider his move, Ash hadn't had any better thought than to have Pikachu take the attack head-on and convert it to his own attack to reduce its effectiveness.

Pikachu's clone zipped forward in a blindingly fast Quick Attack. The original split apart into a ring of copies with a chorus of "Chu," sounding from each one. A smirk crossed Ash's features – it had taken a long time to help Pikachu develop his Double Team starting with Agility as a basis, but it was definitely paying off. The cloned Pokémon charged through the first Pikachu, revealing it to be an illusion.

The next two passes also proved to be illusions, but the clone shot off electricity from his cheeks which destroyed the two fakes beside each target as well. Upon taking down the fifth, sixth, and seventh copies, Mewtwo's Pikachu turned around and darted for the next target. His original was forced to dodge sideways to avoid being shocked from the mild pulse of electricity emanating from his cheeks.

The purpose of Double Team nullified, all of the illusions faded away as Ash's Pikachu became the target of another Quick Attack. "Counter Shield!" Ash shouted. Pikachu spun, simultaneously releasing a cage of Thunderbolt which defended him from the assault.

To Ash's surprise, the Pikachu clone drove through the defense, absorbing some of the whip-like attack-turned-defense. Electricity crackled along his body, sparking around his tail as he turned and slammed the appendage into his opponent. Pikachu's own electric attack was channeled through his body, and he abruptly cut off the Counter Shield to bounce away from his clone.

Both Pikachu were panting hard. Some Electric Pokémon – Jolteon and Electivire, for instance – were capable of easily converting outside currents into their own energy. For others, using electricity from their own body was one thing, but it was much more difficult to convert an opponent's charge to be used against him. Apparently the continuous exchange of electric attacks and conversions was taking its toll on both Pokémon.

"Quick Attack!" Ash shouted. Pikachu blazed towards his opponent, leaving a white afterglow in his wake. The other Electric-type copied the move, and the two rodents banged heads in the center before breaking apart with a cry. "Try using Iron Tail!"

"Chuuu-Pika!" cried the Pokémon, racing forward and slamming his temporarily white tail into his clone. The second Pikachu squeaked in pain, but grabbed on to the tail to send jolts of electricity into the original.

The two broke apart again, both appearing close to their last legs. Sparks leapt from their cheeks in a show of intimidation before the clone ran forward. Ash's Pikachu began the charge as well, but he coated himself in the golden electricity signifying Volt Tackle. The two met in the middle, Volt Tackle versus Double-Edge, and there was a fierce clash as each Pikachu fought for dominance.

As the two powerful attacks collided, Ash knew the battle would be over. Recoil damage alone from either attack would do enough damage to deplete what little stamina either of the Mouse Pokémon had; combined with the injuries they'd sustain from their opponent's attack, Ash wasn't sure what the outcome would be.

The ensuing backlash of the attacks sent the two rodents flying in opposite directions. Both Electric-types ended up laying face-down on the ground, battered and bruised. "Come on, Pikachu!" pleaded Ash. "Get up, please get up!"

Slowly, with Ash's support, Pikachu managed to climb wearily to his feet, gritting his teeth in sheer exhaustion. Brock looked between the barely standing Pikachu and the still-unconscious form of his clone before raising his hand and declaring Ash the winner. The Frontier Brain immediately ran out onto the field and gathered his most faithful Pokémon into his arms just as the creature collapsed. "You did an amazing job Pikachu," he murmured to the mouse, "I owe you so much. Take a long rest."

He reached his trainer's box and exchanged a look with Misty; it was such a pitiful gaze that the red-head's heart went out to her friend. She nodded in answer to his unspoken question. Ash deposited Pikachu into Misty's arms, petting the Electric-type one last time before his eyes turned steely. "Alright Mewtwo," Ash began, turning around to face the Genetic Pokémon, "I participated in your little challenge and won two of the three battles. Now it's you versus me."

_[…No]_

"What do you mean 'no'?"

_[I was unaware of more than one definition of the word. However, since you need clarification, it is not you versus me]_

"But…but I faced your challenge head-on!" Ash protested. "I passed the physical challenge in Seafoam, the personality test on Knot Island, and I beat your clones fair and square! What else is there?"

_[I am not disputing any of these facts]_ Mewtwo acknowledged, _[However, you and I are not destined to do battle]_

Ash looked like a man on the brink of an aneurysm, so Misty stepped in. Cradling Pikachu in her arms while holding Ash's lab coat close to her body, she laid a hand on Ash's shoulder and suggested diplomatically, "Why don't you let Mewtwo explain."

_[Thank you. As you have so astutely pointed out, you have passed all of the challenges I have presented you with…which is precisely why I am not going to be your opponent]_

"…Huh?"

_[There is your opponent]_ Mewtwo stated, pointing at a figure floating high above them. The creature was pink, with small arms and disproportionately large feet. It possessed a long rope-thin tail – over twice as long as its body – which ended in a somewhat oblong shape. Feline features pointed to some sort of relationship to Mewtwo, though the playful nature it exhibited by chasing its own tail was a stark contrast to the Genetic Pokémon's rather stoic demeanor.

"Huh," Ash uttered again, more in surprise than confusion.

"That's Mew…" Misty managed, stunned.

Mewtwo seemed to sigh. _[You humans seem to have a knack for pointing out the obvious. However, Misty is undeniably correct. You see, Ash, the purpose of the battles was to determine whom you would fight. Since you won the match – thereby proving that your originals were stronger than the clones – you shall have the pleasure of fighting __**my**__ original. I would hate to deprive you of a challenge._

_[And if you defeat and capture Mew, I will come along as well]_

"That's…an interesting proposition," Ash commented slowly.

_[Yes, I believe so too. You'll need this]_ he added, materializing a black Pokéball with two grey ridges and an eye design – yellow sclera, red pupil – on the front outlined in grey. The ball levitated across the field and landed in Ash's palm.

The Frontier Brain stared at the ball for a moment before looking at Mewtwo. "You used these to capture and clone all our Pokémon the first time. Isn't this equivalent to a Master Ball?"

_[Normally, yes. However, I have specially designed this ball so that it will only capture Mew when it has been sufficiently weakened. Oh]_ added Mew's clone, _[I forgot to mention that you can use six Pokémon, but three of them would have to be the ones you've already used. Now Mew, it's your turn]_. While there was no difference in Mewtwo's speech to any of the others present, Mew apparently heard this last part, for it turned its head towards its clone.

"Mew?" squeaked the pink Pokémon. It moved from the ceiling to the field, hovering just above the ground. The New Species Pokémon twisted its head in curiosity, flipping over its tail and examining its surroundings. Brock watched it maneuver in the air before glancing at Ash, giving him a look that plainly said to choose a Pokémon.

Ash caught Brock's look and scowled, though it wasn't directed at his friend. Mewtwo's latest restriction meant that Ash's choice of Pokémon was greatly restricted. With Pidgeot knocked out, both Bulbasaur and Pikachu practically unconscious with exhaustion, and no break after fighting Moltres to heal Kingler and Wartortle – let alone the snoozing Snorlax – Ash was royally screwed.

Mew settled on the ground, supporting itself with its large feet. Ash bit his lip before grabbing a Pokéball and chucking it into the arena. Tauros appeared in a flash of light, legs spread wide and mooing. Brock barely finished announcing the beginning of the match before Ash ordered an Earthquake.

Tauros reared back and slammed his hooves against the floor, powerful vibrations radiating from the point of impact. Mew let out a curious sound before levitating above the Ground-type attack.

Ash could only sweat-drop. _Right…Mew can fly. Not so much with the thinking on that one._ "Try a Zen Headbutt." The three silver studs embedded in Tauros' head glowed blue. The Wild Bull Pokémon lowed loudly before dropping his head and stampeding toward Mew. The Psychic-type floated a little higher, performing a back flip and avoiding the incoming bovine. "Use your tails!" Ash called as his Pokémon ran right under the Legendary.

Tauros' three tails whipped up with a suddenness that apparently caught Mew unaware. One tail managed to grab Mew's own long tail, while the other two wrapped around the New Species Pokémon's body. Mew let out a gasp of surprise as Ash grinned. "Bring Mew to the earth!" Ash cheered.

His Pokémon made a loud noise of agreement at this, bringing the Legendary into a hard meeting with the ground with a deft flick of his tails. Just before impact, Mew created a shield of psychic energy which minimized damage from the modified slam. With a chirp, Mew used its psychic powers to wriggle free of Tauros' hold. The small Pokémon put some distance between it and Tauros, tilting its head in curiosity as the bull turned around to face it. "Mew?"

Silence reigned for several moments as the Psychic Legendary observed Tauros. Finally, Mew lowered itself to the ground. It stood there for a second longer, appearing to ponder its options before it glowed a myriad of colors.

Ash brought a palm up and slapped his forehead in frustration, allowing the appendage to slide down and cover his face in its entirety. "Shit," he muttered.

_[This should be interesting]_ commented Mewtwo, sounding mildly amused.

Standing in Mew's place was a Tauros, its three tails whipping ferociously. Ash's Tauros looked momentarily surprised at this transformation, but recovered quickly, snorting in challenge and pawing the ground with his front hoof. Mew repeated the action, prompting Tauros to moo loudly and lower his head slightly.

"Shit shit shit," Ash repeated. "Now Tauros, just calm down. Relax buddy, don't do anything –"

Tauros and Mew charged, the echoing of their hooves against the floor unnaturally loud.

"—rash," Ash finished uselessly. "Shit."

"It's kind of ironic to hear _you_ tell someone not to do something rash," Misty informed him.

The Frontier Brain glanced at her, grinning crookedly. "That's true. Still, this would've been a good situation to take the advice."

"Oh, right," retorted Misty, "as opposed to all of your _smart_ rash decisions. Interfering in Mew and Mewtwo's battle, riding a Lugia into the middle of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres' fight, taking on an Entei –"

"_Fake_ Entei," Ash corrected hotly, "and I see your point: I've made some stupid decisions. Still," he digressed, turning back to the battle, where Tauros and Mew had locked horns in combat, "now that Mew's transformed, Tauros isn't going to listen to me."

"A Tauros as bull-headed as his trainer. What're the odds?"

"…Oh, you're hilarious."

_[The irony]_ Mewtwo interrupted, _[is that Mew is merely playing around]_

"…You're joking."

_[No]_ Mewtwo smiled. _[It makes this clash rather funny to an outsider's perspective]_

"Well isn't that just peachy. I'm so glad that you're being entertained."

"I think it's funny too!" called Brock.

"Not helping!" Ash returned.

_[Your banter is also rather amusing to listen to]_

"Shut up, you," Ash added, his tone lacking venom. He attempted reaching his Pokémon once again. "Tauros, back off!" The Wild Bull Pokémon didn't listen, unlocking horns for a second before ramming them together again with a moo.

The clash of wills – and horns – lasted another 10 minutes before Mewtwo spoke up. _[Mew, this is a pointless battle. Finish this up so we can move on]_

Mew-cum-Tauros looked up briefly, taking Ash's Tauros' Horn Attack to the chest. It lowed painfully before backing a fair distance away, transforming again into its standard pink, feline form. "Mew," it agreed. The New Species Pokémon encased itself in a glowing pink sphere. Tauros tried charging Mew, but the Psychic-type released the gathered energy before the bovine got close enough to actually hit.

Tauros was thrown against the nearest wall with a bellow of pain. He managed to clamber awkwardly to his hooves, but once upright began to headbutt the wall. Ash grimaced; apparently Mew's psychic attack had left Tauros confused. The Wild Bull Pokémon always seemed extremely susceptible to confusion, and if caught, it normally signaled the end of his match. With a heavy sigh, Ash held up Tauros' Pokéball and recalled the Pokémon. "Good try, Tauros."

Ash didn't even hear Brock call the battle. Mew was busy doing cartwheels in midair, seeming more interested in playing around than actually battling. The raven-haired trainer hesitated; Charizard was still fresh, not to mention strong enough to combat a Legendary Pokémon. The problem was that Charizard had an extremely competitive spirit, and combining that with Mew's dexterity and flexibility, Ash wasn't sure he was an optimal choice for battling _this_ Legendary.

_Option two then_.

"Muuuuuk," cried the Poison-type, appearing from its Pokéball and moving to smother Ash.

"Hey Muk, I'm glad to see you too. I need you for this battle though, so maybe we can do meet-and-greet later, yeah?"

The Sludge Pokémon paused in its hug, choosing to slither off its trainer and take its place on the field. Mew stared at it, squeaking in mild confusion. "Sludge Bomb!" Ash ordered quickly once Brock started the fifth round. Muk opened its large maw and shot multiple dark globs of sludge at Mew. The New Species Pokémon dodged, but Ash told his Pokémon to keep up the assault. Muk complied, barraging Mew with a continuous barrage of brown-black sludge at its opponent.

Mew, in an impressive display of aerial agility, appeared to dance around and in-between the sludge pellets. "Okay Muk, stop for a second." The Poison-type obeyed, and Mew shot it with that same curious look it had used on Tauros. Floating lower to the ground, Mew's body underwent the technicolor glow that symbolized its Transform. Ash grinned. "Now Muk, use Disable!"

Muk's body became outlined in a blue aura, and pulsating rings of psychic energy emitted from its sludgy mass. Mew became frozen a foot above the ground, just about ready to undergo its transformation. Capitalizing on the Psychic-type's immobility, Ash shouted, "Gunk Shot!"

With a belch, a veritable _mass_ of purple sewage emerged from Muk's mouth and washed over Mew. A squeak could be heard from the pink Pokémon as it was engulfed by the poisonous deluge of gunk. After several seconds, Muk stopped the assault.

Ash watched as Mew emerged from Muk's attack, a blazing pink aura surrounding it and a serious expression on its face. This new side of Mew scared Ash slightly; the Psychic-type had displayed only playful innocence so far, and seeing such a fierce expression on such a small and gentle Pokémon was rather startling. "I'm screwed, aren't I?" he murmured to Misty.

"It's possible."

Mew's eyes glowed pink, and with a cry of its name, it sent out a wave of psychic energy. Ash hastily shouted, "Minimize to dodge!" A silvery sheen overtook Muk's mass, and the Poison-type's body constricted upon itself, making it a much smaller target. Unfortunately for Ash, the nature of Mew's attack meant that, provided its target was still visible, it would still hit.

Muk gained a pink aura as Mew's attack swept over it before it was lifted into the air and then bodily hurled 50 feet. The purple Pokémon folded over itself as it landed, bouncing back with a groan of its name. Ash let out a relieved breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

Ash had started using Muk because of the Poison-type's amazing resilience to physical attacks and certain special attacks. Despite Poison's weakness to Psychic-types, several of the latter's moves – notably Confusion and Psychic – involved manipulation of the body or other physical objects that Muk didn't have too much of a problem dealing with. It was perhaps one of the primary reasons Ash felt somewhat confident in using the Sludge Pokémon in this battle – that and the fact that Muk was one of his few Pokémon currently capable of battle.

Mew floated higher into the air, putting several stories of height between it and Muk. Then it began to move its paws back and forth, swaying its body in the opposite direction of its paws. Ash stared at the Legendary Pokémon, momentarily mesmerized by the movement before he realized what it meant. "Muk, stop that Metronome! Use Mud Bomb!"

Several brown pellets shot from Muk's mouth at Mew, but the pink Pokémon maneuvered its tail under its body and conjured a nearly invisible barrier which reflected the Ground-type attack. "Hit it harder!" Ash growled through gritted teeth. Metronome was a complete game of chance, and while Ash normally counted himself a lucky battler, he would prefer to not leave it up to luck. Unfortunately, Mew's power negated the one drawback of using Metronome – the startup time. With that lull gone, Ash's only choice was to drive through the barrier with sheer force.

Muk opened its mouth to follow through with the command, but Mew's middle fingers glowed white. The Psychic-type's mouth opened slightly and a jagged, frigid beam struck Muk squarely. It gave a drawn-out, shuddering groan as ice encased its entire being.

Ash stood on the sidelines, slack-jawed. _Of all the – are you kidding? __**Ice Beam?**__ And it froze Muk on the __**first shot?**_

As Ash continued to work through the logistics of the last attack, Mew swooped down next to the frozen form of Muk. It slapped the block of ice playfully with its tail before giggling quietly. Ash recalled his Poison-type, causing Mew to look at the previously occupied spot and question its emptiness with a curious chirp.

The sound of grinding teeth made its way to Misty's ears. She could tell that Ash was rather frustrated; while Muk wasn't necessarily the best battler on his team, she had thought (like him) that the Sludge Pokémon would put up a relatively decent fight. Being frozen by a random Ice Beam from Metronome didn't seem to calculate into Ash's plans in the slightest. _Well, I guess it's Mew versus Charizard now._ The Fire- and Flying-type was the only Pokémon left in Ash's party who could still fight.

"It's all up to you!" shouted Ash, throwing out his last Pokémon.

Brock stared at the materialized form in surprise. _Whoa._

_I stand corrected,_ Mewtwo mused to himself, _**this**__ shall be an interesting battle._

Misty blinked. _That's…not Charizard._

Indeed, the Pokémon that had appeared was not Charizard, but stood about five feet tall and possessed a staunch, rounded body with short arms and stubby legs. From the tip of its two spiked ears to its stubby tail its entire body was colored a deep purplish-black. Spikes protruded down its back from the rear of its head, and two semi-circular red eyes were set above a sinisterly grinning mouth. "Gengar," it rasped, its deep yet empty voice resounding throughout the room.

"When did –"

"Sabrina," Ash offered to Misty. "Apparently Haunter got into the fighting spirit and eventually evolved. When I came to see if Haunter wanted to come with me, Sabrina handed me this Pokéball. And now," he stated, turning his attention to Mew, "we can truly begin."

"Final round," announced Brock, "Gengar versus Mew. Begin!"

"Shadow Ball," Ash called instantly. Gengar brought its arms in front of its body and created a black and purple sphere of ghostly energy. The Shadow Pokémon launched the Shadow Ball at Mew, but the Psychic-type effortlessly dodged the attack. The Legendary paused to observe Gengar before it tried using Transform again.

_Well that won't do, _thought Ash. "Gengar, Shadow Punch!"

The Ghost-type's fist sparked with miniature purple lightning before it rushed forward and released a shadowy black fist in the direction of Mew. When the attack struck home, Ash's suspicions about Mew's transformation abilities were confirmed – it couldn't manipulate its psychic powers in the middle of using Transform, unlike when it had used Barrier while preparing Metronome.

Ash figured it didn't matter much anymore anyway, seeing as how Mew (slowly recovering from the super effective attack) probably wouldn't try to transform into Gengar again. Mew reformed the pink bubble of psychic energy that it used against Muk, this time diving straight towards Gengar. "Dodge it, Gengar," Ash commanded smoothly, and the Shadow Pokémon jumped up and to the side just before Mew struck the ground.

The New Species Pokémon extended its bubble, turning the cocoon of protective energy into a powerful Psychic attack. The wave of pink hit the levitating Gengar from behind, causing the ghost to grimace and close its eyes in pain; despite having the advantage over Psychic-type Pokémon, Gengar's Ghost/Poison duality left it partially vulnerable to the same attacks it was strong against. Ash knew he would have to play the remainder of the battle carefully.

"Gengar, you have to hold on!" he shouted. Gengar's crimson eyes shot open, and it quickly turned intangible, phasing through the floor. Mew cancelled its attack, the inability to locate its opponent prompting its ceasefire.

One minute passed, then two, and Gengar didn't reappear. Ash gazed all around the battlefield, as if his vision could pierce through Gengar's invisibility. The Frontier Brain was uncomfortably reminded of Haunter's disappearance when he had tried to fight Sabrina for the second time. Suddenly, Ash caught an awkward movement in Mew's shadow, and comprehension dawned upon him.

As a species, Gengar were renowned as pranksters – something that Ash remembered Haunter had been very apt at – and often hid within the shadows of other creatures to terrorize them. The trick was offset slightly by a Gengar's inability to regulate its own body temperature, which meant that if a Gengar was nearby, the ambient temperature would be several degrees lower than the actual clime. Fortunately, Mew had resumed its levitation high enough above the ground that it couldn't detect the temperature difference Gengar put off.

Gengar's trick put Ash at an advantage. Another minute went by, and Mew lost interest in its hidden opponent, choosing instead to chase its tail. Ash took the opportunity to strike.

"Dark Pulse!"

Two arms appeared from Mew's shadow, a ball of dark energy held between Gengar's hands. The Shadow Pokémon fired, a beam of black rings outlined in a purple aura striking Mew from below. Mew tried to defend itself from the Dark-type attack by forming a barrier, but Ash preempted the defensive maneuver by shouting, "Now use Night Shade!"

Gengar's face came into view, crimson eyes glowing an incandescent red. Two jagged pitch black beams with a red aura shot from the ghost's orbs, merging with the Dark Pulse and fueling the effectiveness of Ash's subterfuge.

The Ghost-type Pokémon finally ran out of energy for its attacks, halting the streams of darkness hitting its opponent. Mew, weakened by the combined attacks, began to descend to the ground. When the Legendary Pokémon floated five feet above terra firma, Ash heaved the ball that Mewtwo had given him.

To his immense shock, Mew found the energy to sweep its tail around and deflect the modified Pokéball. Ash raised his hand and caught the object, a slight scowl on his features. The Psychic-type was clearly running out of energy, but apparently the double onslaught of Dark Pulse and Night Shade was not enough to take it out of the match.

Apparently though, Mew was not giving in so easily. Its body glowed white and it began to form the large, silvery orbs that Ash recognized as Ancientpower, firing and then creating them in rapid succession at Gengar. Without a word, Gengar quickly turned intangible and zoomed in a zigzag pattern around the field, belly just above the floor.

The Shadow Pokémon neared Mew and shot up, attempting to get close and finish the battle. Mew allowed the energy from its Ancientpower to dissipate and quickly expelled a psychic burst which pushed the dual-type Pokémon back. As Gengar recovered from the attack, Ash thought about a new strategy.

Mew was suddenly acting very aggressive, meaning that it was likely to continue relentlessly attacking Gengar. Ash supposed he could wear the Legendary Pokémon out, but it was more likely that Mew would defeat Gengar than pass out from exhaustion…which meant that he would have to find some way to attack Mew _while_ under attack.

And suddenly, he had it.

"Gengar, get close to Mew again!"

The ghost zipped over the arena, dodging Ancientpowers as they were hurled at it. Gengar then rocketed upward at Mew, repeating its earlier maneuver. Just like before, Mew cancelled its attack and focused its psychic aura on repelling the Shadow Pokémon. "Sucker Punch!" Ash yelled.

Gengar's malevolent grin grew wider as it disappeared from view. Mew let out a startled squeak at this move and slowly began to turn around.

Too late.

The Ghost/Poison-type phased into existence behind Mew, a purple glow surrounding its hand. It swung forward, connecting the Sucker Punch to Mew's back and sending the Psychic-type crashing towards the earth. Using its psychic abilities, Mew created a pink bubble to bounce off of, but Gengar used Night Shade and Shadow Ball simultaneously to pop the bubble and propel its opponent into the ground.

When Ash threw the Pokéball this time, it easily captured Mew before floating over to the trainer and minimizing to the size of a ping-pong ball. Both Ash and Misty stared in disbelief at the sphere, as Brock belatedly refereed, "Uh…Mew is captured, so Ash and Gengar win the match!" The breeder walked over to his two friends and clapped the other male on the back with a hearty, "Congratulations, Ash."

Gengar too swooped forward with a cackle, gloating, "Gengar geng."

Ash laughed along with the ghost. "You did a great job, Gengar. I definitely couldn't have done this one without you. Take five." With that, Gengar disappeared in its Pokéball. The Frontier Brain turned to face Mewtwo, his two friends beside him. "So now what?"

Mew's clone walked towards the trio, leaving about ten feet of space between them. Another of the black Pokéballs materialized in Mewtwo's palm. He handed the object over to Ash. There was a moment of silence before Mewtwo said, _[You should probably answer that]_

Confusion overtook the all three humans' features and the raven-haired male opened his mouth to say something before the ring of his phone interrupted his question. He brought out the device and opened it, revealing a woman with a sharp face and magenta hair. "Heya twerp," greeted Jessie.

"Hi Jessie," Ash started slowly, a little confused, "didn't Brock say not to call unless there's an emergency?"

"Oh yeah, well, you've got a challenger here," she explained. "We told him we didn't know when you'd be back, but he's waiting here and we said we'd try to find out."

With the screen focusing only on Ash, Mewtwo choose to interject and advise the trio, _[Tell her you will be back shortly],_ without interfering in the conversation.

Ash blinked. "Uh, we'll be back soon."

Jessie quirked one hair-thin eyebrow, but accepted the answer. "Okay then, see you soon." The phone screen went black.

"Explain," Ash demanded, refocusing on Mewtwo.

The Genetic Pokémon shrugged, the human gesture appearing strange coming from him. _[I offer you my congratulations] _he stated by way of explanation. _[This Pokéball will be mine; while unnecessary, I feel the legalized ownership makes things more official. Mine has the number '2' inscribed on it, to differentiate between me and Mew]_

Ash glanced at the ball, noticing that Mewtwo was right. "Neat."

_[…You haven't seen the other Pokéballs, have you?]_

"What?" Ash took out the Pokéballs containing the three Legendary Birds, scrutinizing them and realizing that each was inscribed on the red half with a small symbol: a lightning bolt, a flame that reminded him of the Volcano Badge, and an elegant snowflake. "When did –?"

_[I put a little bit of my power within each Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres, so that when they were captured, the power would leak out and identify the Pokéball. They're relatively artistic, are they not? Now, while capturing me was part of our bargain, I would suggest waiting 30 seconds or so]_

"…Why?"

Mewtwo's eyes glowed blue, and the humans and their belongings all became outlined in the same psychic energy. _[Prepare yourselves]_, Mewtwo warned. And then they all vanished.

The silence on New Island was deafening. In one of the darkened corners of the battlefield room, a small red light placed within the center of a metal discus blinked, then turned off.

-l-l-l-

Many miles away, hidden deep within the Five Isle Meadow on Chrono Island and disguised by multiple holograms, a nondescript man wearing black pants and long-sleeved shirt, a black beret, and silver gloves and boots finished writing something and pushed away from a computer console. He pressed a button on the equipment, ejecting a small disc from the computer. The man turned around, revealing a large red 'R' imprinted on his shirt, identifying him as a member of infamous Team Rocket. He exited the room and took a set of stairs leading up, leaving behind an empty room with a large screen showing the standard Pokémon battling arena.

The Team Rocket member reached a room with long rows of Pokéballs organized in small cubbies. He opened the glass case of one and removed the Pokéball there, releasing the creature inside with a flash of light. A large Fearow appeared, a small brown pouch hanging from its long neck. "Take this to the Boss," instructed the grunt, placing the disc and his handwritten note into the pouch. Fearow took off with a caw, flapping its large wings and leaving the island heading towards Viridian City.

The male watched the Beak Pokémon disappear. "Boss won't be too happy about this," he muttered. "Now we have to move our plans up." He spun on his heel and headed back to the video room, intent on looking through the video archives to find anything else useful. The interference of those three trainers into Team Rocket's plans was definitely going to prove to be both a setback and a hindrance.

-l-l-l-

**Author's Note:** Well, first thing's first, and that's a huge thanks to anyone who reviewed the previous chapter. There was a small number of you, so I really appreciate the time each and every one of you took to let me know how I did. Especially because I thought that was my best chapter to date...but I digress.

This was a real struggle to write, partially because school's being a pain, and partially because having two of the exact same Pokémon fight each other practically to a standstill is a HUGE challenge. I don't know how satisfied I am with this chapter (especially Pikachu's battle, which I _just_ finished), though I feel like I did as well as I could with how I originally intended it to turn out. Please, let me know how you think I did in a review. I would appreciate it immensely...especially considering that this is the longest chapter to date - just about 11,000 words, without the Author's Note.

Next up will be a slight filler chapter showing Ash's role as a Frontier Brain and explaining the involvement of Team Rocket in this story. After that will come Johto, which'll end up being a couple of chapters. As for what happens with the Johto Legendaries, as well as the upcoming start of Ash and Misty's romance...well, looks like you'll just have to stay tuned! Again, don't be afraid to let me know how you think I did in a review! I'll be back when I get the chance (also, I do apologize about the chapter title, but I really couldn't pass up the opportunity).


	8. Home Field Advantage

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Pokémon_.

-l-l-l-

**Day 16**

Jessie hung up the phone in the main household. It was approaching evening in Kanto, and the sun was just beginning to descend into the horizon. She sighed lightly; a romantic at heart, Jessie loved the sunset and the mood it created.

The magenta-haired woman and her two teammates, James and Meowth, had honestly never felt more at ease than on the island they currently resided on. After following Ash, Brock, and whichever female they had encountered in each region for years, having a permanent home – and more importantly, three square meals a day! – was a gift from the heavens.

There had been the initial suspicions of their motives, which all three former Team Rocket members had expected; after all, going from villain to essentially roommate was a strange and abrupt transition. But when they proved that they weren't on another ploy to steal Pikachu, Ash and Brock had opened up to them a bit more. Eventually, all of the twerps' Pokémon – almost all of which, at one time or another, had been the target of Team Rocket's kidnapping schemes – warmed up to the trio, and they found themselves thoroughly enjoying the work and interaction with the creatures.

It was nice to have found a calling besides being failed Pokémon thieves.

Jessie headed for the door, exiting to the outdoors where James stood next to a sandy-haired boy in his mid-teens. He was rather plain looking, slightly tanned and wearing blue jeans and an orange t-shirt with darker sleeve and collar hems. Hazel eyes looked curiously at Jessie, as if awaiting some great fortune-telling. "Well, I've just been in contact with the Frontier Brain, and he says that he'll be back soon," she informed the boy. Then she muttered, "Though I have _no idea_ what that means." The boy nodded his head in acceptance of this fact as James raised an eyebrow in silent question.

The female ex-Rocket's relationship with James was somewhat difficult to qualify. With the exception of Meowth, they had each been the other's only support for years, surviving the good times and the bad side-by-side. There had been moments when Jessie would look at her purple-haired companion and realize the potential for something more, but dedication to their work had always interfered with any opportunity that could have been possible.

Now, with seemingly all the time in the world, she and James had slowly explored the relationship, both going slowly so as to not ruin what they had. It was a strange balance they tried to upkeep, but Jessie wouldn't give it up for the world. Besides, in her opinion, the twerp and his so-called "best friend" were _way_ more complicated than she and James were.

Four human figures appeared in the middle of the yard.

Jessie screamed.

"More warning next time, please," spoke a voice she recognized as Ash's. The raven-haired trainer stumbled forward a step, hand to his head as if trying to stave off a headache. Recovering from the shock of people materializing out of thin air, Jessie realized that Brock was also present, standing next to an orange-haired female that she belatedly recognized as the original twerpette (as she, James, and Meowth had affectionately dubbed her).

The last figure was not a human at all, but rather the tall, humanoid form of Mewtwo, the protector of the cloned Pokémon from Mt. Quena. He looked around, noting the surprised expressions on Jessie and James, as well as the confused one on the random trainer. _[Perhaps I misjudged my timing]_ he noted. _[Ash, I will disappear for now, but I would prefer if you would release me at the soonest opportunity so I can associate myself with my new home]_ He then walked up to Ash and held one three-fingered hand up to the black Pokéball clutched in the trainer's hand, vanishing without another word.

"Right," Ash stated absently. He turned around and spotted the sandy-haired boy. "Ah, you must be the challenger Jessie told me about."

The younger male nodded. "Yes sir. My name's Joey, and I'm from Celadon City. I was told by Palace Maven Spenser that I should come here next."

"Spenser sent you here, huh? I'm surprised that wily old bat hasn't retired yet."

Joey looked slightly confused, unsure whether Ash was actually talking to him or not. "So far I've beaten the Battle Arena, Battle Dome, Battle Pike, and Battle Palace," he said, pulling out his Frontier Pass and displaying the four symbols from Greta, Tucker, Lucy, and Spenser. "They've all been really tough opponents, sir."

Ash laughed. "Yeah, I remember how difficult fighting them was. You must be pretty strong to have gotten through all of that. Oh, and you don't have to call me 'sir'…makes me feel older than I am. I'm Island Expert Ash, and I'm the Frontier Brain of the Battle Island!" he introduced enthusiastically. "But, could we perhaps hold off on this battle 'til tomorrow? It's getting dark, and I've been on a bit of an adventure, so I could really use a good night's rest."

"And some of us would like to change!" Misty added.

"Well, if you insist…" Ash sighed dramatically. "We have a guest room for you to stay in, if you'd like," he told Joey.

The boy nodded again. "That's fine. Thank you for accommodating me."

Ash waved it off. "No problem! Someone will come grab you when dinner is ready. James, can you show him to his room?"

"Sure thing," agreed James. "Follow me."

As Joey followed James to the guest bedroom in the lab, Jessie looked over at the trio. "I don't suppose you'll tell us what's going on here," she said.

"Later," Ash promised. He looked to make sure Joey had disappeared into the house before pulling out five Pokéballs. With a quick toss, all five were suspended in midair, bursting open with flashes of light to form into Zapdos, Articuno, Moltres, Mew, and Mewtwo. With the exception of Mewtwo, they all looked around curiously before turning their attention to Ash. "Make yourselves at home, guys."

Cawing in understanding, both Zapdos and Articuno took flight, heading for the mountainous region of the island; Ash assumed the icy bird would roost in the snow-capped peaks while Zapdos would find a perch close to any potential thunderclouds, though far from Articuno. Mew giggled and floated off in the direction of the lake, while Mewtwo teleported away without a word. Moltres remained, one wing bent at an awkward angle, clicking its beak in agitation. "Sorry," Ash apologized to the fiery bird, "but I never got the chance to get you healed." He recalled the legendary, promising to get it fixed up the next day.

"Whoa," Jessie managed.

"Yeah," responded the Frontier Brain, "we've been on a bit of an adventure. But questions later…I need a shower." Brock and Misty nodded their agreement, and all four headed into the house.

-l-l-l-

Ash yawned and stretched, waiting for the telltale pop of his vertebrae. The previous night, he, Misty, and Brock had sat down with Jessie, James, and Meowth and described the journey they had embarked upon. It had taken a couple of hours to retell, what with the ex-Rockets' interruptions and demands for Ash's plans for the other regions, but everyone had eventually retired to bed around midnight.

Now, at just past eight in the morning, Ash was ready to take up his responsibilities as a Frontier Brain. He quickly showered, dressed, and went downstairs to get breakfast. Misty was seated at the table, spreading jam on a piece of toast, while Brock was at the stove sizzling bacon. Ash grabbed a bowl and spoon, setting them on the table and then rooting around the pantry for cereal. "Where's Joey?" he asked, mixing his cereal and the milk already sitting on the table into his bowl.

"You just missed him," Misty replied, putting down her knife and taking a bite of her toast. She swallowed thickly, grabbing her glass and taking a swig of milk. "He's really excited for this match…put to shame how fast you used to eat."

Ash ignored the barb at his appetite. "Alright."

They finished eating in silence, Ash getting up and putting his dish in the sink just as Joey walked into the kitchen. He waited patiently by the door for Ash to turn around and notice his presence. The researcher smiled lightly, commenting airily, "Ready?" Joey nodded, following Ash outside as a disheveled-looking James walked in, yawning.

The purple-haired man stared after them, turning to the two remaining occupants in the kitchen. "What's going on?"

"Ash and Joey are preparing to battle," Brock explained. He placed the bacon on a plate and handed it to James, adding, "I suppose that I should get out there and referee."

He walked outside to find Ash and Joey standing in front of a post which stuck up three feet from the ground. Attached to the post was a large circle, two feet in diameter and split into eight equal sections. Each section was artistically designed with a different picture, designating the different habitats of the island: forest, savannah, lake, ocean, rough terrain, mountains, caves, and volcano. Splitting each ecosystem was a small metal peg, with a clicker placed at the top of the wheel to help slow down the spinning. Brock looked to Ash. "Did you explain the rules yet?"

"I was just about to start," Ash told him. The Frontier Brain returned his attention to Joey. "The rules of the Battle Island are pretty simple. We're gonna have a 4 on 4 battle in two different locations. The wheel," he continued, gesturing to the device, "will randomly choose which fields the battles take place on. When one of us loses two Pokémon, we'll switch fields and resume the battle. Got all that?" Joey nodded. "Well, let's see where we're goin'." Ash grabbed the wheel and spun it, all three men temporarily mesmerized by the rotation.

"Volcano," Brock noted when the circle stopped. "Your turn," he informed Joey. The younger boy stepped forward and spun, watching as the device landed on the drawing of many trees. "Forest," said Brock.

"Alright, I'll be right back," promised Ash. "If you'd like to exchange Pokémon, we have a transfer machine in the breeding center you can use." He went quickly back into the house and took the stairs down to the basement. The room was simple: two desks – one for Ash, the other for Brock – were placed on opposite sides of the entryway (Ash's notably more cluttered than Brock's); a handful of bookcases sat on the wall facing the doorway, Pokéballs resting in small grooves of a couple; books, research notes, and maps littered the shelves of the others. Large maps of the four regions Ash had ventured to in his younger years – Kanto and Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh – were hung on the walls, displaying the majority of the mainland.

Ash approached the shelves with his Pokéballs, letting his eyes roam over all of the capture devices. Most of the time, his Pokémon lived in the wilderness of the island but sometimes it was more prudent to keep them within the red and white spheres. He grabbed several of the devices belonging to his forest Pokémon; they were all already out in their natural habitat, but when they moved to the volcano area of the island, he would need to carry them somehow.

The Frontier Brain had gone down to the basement the previous night to return the Pokéballs to their storage, only after releasing Pidgeot, Primeape, Bulbasaur, and Snorlax to the outdoors (since their habitats were closest to the lab). Now he stared at the other five Pokéballs he had placed down there at that time: those which had captured the five Legendary Pokémon of Kanto. After a moment's thought, he grabbed one of them and seemed to weigh it in his hand before placing it in his lab coat. He went back through his mental checklist of Pokémon once more before collecting the Pokéballs of his Johto creatures as well. _Waste not, want not, _he thought, deciding to begin preparations for his departure to that region.

Ash turned around and made his way back outside, giving Brock a nod as he reappeared. "Let's get going then," Brock prompted with a smile.

Thanks to the fact that the forest ecosystem partially surrounded the lab, it only took a matter of minutes to reach the tree line. Parked just on the fringe was the former Team Rocket's hot air balloon; Ash led the way past it and navigated a well-worn path deeper into the thick canopy. Every once in a while, the Frontier Brain would whistle; the sound went from high to low, and Ash alternated which direction he called in.

Joey opened his mouth to ask why the other male kept repeating the action when Brock, walking beside the younger boy (behind Ash), answered the curiosity displayed clearly on his face. "Ash comes in here all the time as part of his research," explained the breeder, "so most of the wild Pokémon are used to his presence. Mine too, a little bit," he added. The Battle Frontier challenger looked around, taking notice of how several of the native creatures – Spinarak, Oddish, Rattata – ducked away to further hide their presence.

"On the other hand, strangers –" here, he gestured to Joey "– tend to unnerve them. Ash whistles to let them know that he's bringing someone they're not used to into their home. Plus, it lets any of his own Pokémon in the vicinity know that he has a challenger."

Joey nodded. "That makes sense." They lapsed into silence as Ash led them through the foliage, finally arriving at a clearing large enough to hold a battle in the middle of a copse of trees. Joey gazed around the area in wonder, taking notice of all the different wild Pokémon which were half-hidden, consisting mainly of Bug-, Normal-, Flying-, Grass-, and Fighting-types. He gazed in curious awe at several of the oddities in the bunch – a tall Sceptile with a twig in its mouth, leaning against a tree; a slumbering Torterra; an anxious Primeape, bouncing from leg to leg and punching his gloves together – and wondered if their status as fully-evolved Pokémon meant that they were Ash's.

Brock took his place where the referee box normally was on an official battlefield as Ash walked to the opposite side of the clearing, standing where a beam of sunlight shone through the canopy and illuminated his face. Joey was momentarily startled by the effect, the man's expression thrown into professional seriousness by the light in the otherwise dimly lit forest. The sandy-haired boy snapped back to attention as Brock started talking.

"This will be a 4-vs-4 match, with Joey of Celadon City facing Island Expert Ash. Only the challenger can use substitutions, and after one trainer has lost two Pokémon, we will switch fields. There is no time limit, and the Frontier Brain will reveal his Pokémon first," he announced. "Begin when ready."

Ash glanced behind him at the gathering of evolved Pokémon. His opponent watched as the lime green Sceptile stepped forward, rolling the twig around in its mouth. "Sceptile," muttered the Grass-type coolly, and its tone told Joey the lizard-like creature was male.

"Alright," said the Celadon resident, "you're on, Pinsir." The 5-foot tall, brown Bug-type appeared in a flash of light, his spiked, curved, white horns clacking together menacingly. Brock looked between the two battle-ready Pokémon before announcing that the match could begin. "Swords Dance." Pinsir tapped his namesakes together, making them gleam silver before they seemed to become more pronounced.

"Bullet Seed," said Ash. Sceptile opened his mouth, releasing a cascade of glowing yellow pellets at Pinsir. At his trainer's command, Pinsir flashed white, the limited sunlight in the forest reflecting his Harden. The seeds struck Pinsir squarely, dispersing against his reinforced carapace. "Leaf Blade," he ordered, realizing that the distance attack was doing nothing.

The two leaf-like extensions on each of Sceptile's forearms glowed green, elongated, and merged into one. With a cry, the Forest Pokémon leapt towards the bipedal insect.

"Pinsir, catch it with Vicegrip!" shouted Joey. The Stag Beetle Pokémon bowed his head, using his pincers to catch one of the blades; his spindly arms shot forward and caught Sceptile's other arm at the hand and elbow. Sceptile's red-rimmed, yellow eyes widened in surprise. "Toss him away with Vital Throw!" The Bug-type heaved mightily, throwing his opponent at a tree diagonally to his left. Sceptile righted himself in midair before striking the tree, embedding his sharp claws into the bark and glaring at the insect from his upside-down perch.

Ash was impressed. His Sceptile was a powerful, stubborn Pokémon, agile and strong. As a whole, the species were known for being the 'King of the Forest', and the Grass-type oversaw the inner workings of the island's forest ecosystem almost single-handedly. His fighting prowess – especially when in his natural habitat – was not so easily stopped.

But it was more than just the effectiveness of Pinsir's moves to Sceptile's own that the Frontier Brain was affected by. Where most trainers would either have had their Pokémon dodge or overpower Ash's own, Joey had rather strategically used Pinsir's abilities to completely counter Sceptile's attack. It was strangely reminiscent of Ash's own battling style, which had always used unorthodox attack combinations and counterattack tactics.

Ash felt a grin rise to his lips as he told Sceptile to use Bullet Seed again; the green lizard – still clinging to the tree – raised his head and shot the yellow pellets at Pinsir. After the past two weeks of traveling and battling with a competitor's mindset – for the journey he had embarked on was nothing if not a challenge – having a Pokémon battle with no high stakes was a huge relief. He could feel the blood thrumming through his body with the usual vigor an exciting match elicited.

"Pinsir, use Brick Break!"

The Island Expert snapped back to attention as Pinsir's hand turned white before he rushed forward and slammed the appendage into the base of the tree Sceptile was in. The Forest Pokémon jumped to the bough of the next hardwood, continuing to keep ahead of the Bug-type as one Brick Break after another followed him, shaking the trees with the force of impact. Ash followed the path of his Pokémon as Sceptile maintained the higher ground, leaping from limb to limb just beneath the canopy.

In a quick maneuver, Pinsir ran to the tree Sceptile was moving to, striking it with his hand just as the Forest Pokémon grasped the nearest branch. The power of the Fighting-type attack shook the tree, unseating the Grass-type from his unstable position. As Sceptile plummeted to the ground, Ash shouted, "Sceptile, use Slam!"

Simultaneously, Joey yelled, "Pinsir, try your X-Scissor!"

Pinsir's arms adopted a blue light color, and he crossed them into an 'X' shape. He tackled the falling Sceptile, who turned his palm-frond tail to take the brunt of the attack. There was a brief stalemate, during which Ash wondered how to turn the match in his favor; Joey's Pinsir had already compensated for the terrain and Sceptile's speed with sheer power. "ViceGrip!" commanded Joey.

Sceptile cried out in mixed pain and anger as Pinsir's sharp horns grabbed him around the middle and squeezed tightly. "Sceptile, break free with Leaf Storm!" The six yellow seeds on Sceptile's back glowed yellow-green, a plethora of similarly colored leaves swirling around the interlocked Pokémon and hitting the Bug-type. Pinsir rasped something incomprehensible but didn't release his grip. Joey commanded that he use Seismic Toss, and the Stag Beetle Pokémon jumped into the air, tossing his head back and releasing Sceptile at the ground.

The Leaf Storm dispersed due to the throw, Pinsir landed safely on the ground and clacked his horns together. Sceptile hit the earth on his back, rebounding with a grimace and firing another Bullet Seed at the brown beetle. At Joey's behest, Pinsir activated another X-Scissor, running through the energy pellets with his arms crossed and striking the Grass-type squarely in the chest.

The King of the Forest flew back and hit a tree opposite Brock's position. He slumped to the ground, and after a moment Brock called the match in Joey's favor. Ash was momentarily surprised – Sceptile was used to going several rounds with an opponent, normally coming out on top. It would be a huge blow to the plant-reptile's pride to have lost so easily.

Sceptile groaned, coming to with one tri-clawed hand held to his head. "You're out of practice," Ash teased. The lithe Grass-type snorted at the jibe, leaping into the tree he had been hit into and moving toward Torterra's slumbering form. He alit lightly on the Continent Pokémon's broad back, leaning easily against the tree protruding from his fellow Grass-type's shell and rolling the ever-present twig around in his mouth.

"Um…"

"Oh, don't worry about Sceptile," Ash assured Joey, "he always gets rather upset when he loses…the big baby." Sceptile shot his trainer a dark look from his reclined position, which the raven-haired trainer ignored. "Apparently _someone_ needs to get back to training and stop snacking on Berries." A single Bullet Seed pegged Ash in the back of his head, causing him to laugh.

Joey couldn't help but admire the relationship Ash had with his Pokémon. Even in the middle of a serious battle, the Frontier Brain managed to find time to relax and interact with his friends in a playful manner. It set a good precedent for other trainers to follow. Waiting for Ash to return to the battle, his wandering eyes spotted a Noctowl – its golden and burnt red plumage causing it to stand out rather obviously – whose head was tilted almost 90 degrees on its neck. The bird's intelligent brown eyes stared unflinchingly at Joey, who quickly became unnerved by the currently-vertical stare.

Ash's voice lured Joey's attention away from the oddly-colored bird. "Sorry about that. Your Pinsir is really well-trained; Sceptile doesn't usually get outmaneuvered so easily. Now," he muttered more to himself, "who next…?" The Primeape in the tree above Torterra (who had cracked open one eye lazily) looked ready to jump down to the forest floor, but the sudden appearance of a Heracross gave everyone present pause.

Joey thought the gesture spoke volumes of Ash's connection with his Pokémon, that they would volunteer to battle instead of being called out. Ash was simply surprised.

Heracross – despite his battling prowess and willpower – did not often take the initiative in Ash's battles, preferring to suck sap from the nearby trees (or, if he could get it, Bulbasaur's bulb). Ash couldn't figure out the Bug- and Fighting-type's motivation until he remembered the circumstances almost 15 years ago under which Heracross had actually joined his party. A herd of Pinsir had invaded the territory of a group of Heracross, forcing Ash and his friends to interfere and root out the cause of the Pinsirs' disturbance. After sending Team Rocket (the disturbance) blasting off (again), the Pinsir had returned to their side of the river and one curious Heracross had followed Ash on his path to becoming a Pokémon Master.

Maybe it was because his opponent was a Pinsir, or perhaps it was that Heracross had finally gotten into the fighting spirit, Ash wasn't sure; but whatever the reason, Ash was grateful for the Single Horn Pokémon's willingness to enter the match. "Alright Heracross, you're on. Let's show that Pinsir what you're made of with a Horn Attack." Heracross' trademark horn – shape like a double-bladed ax head – took on a silvery sheen as he charged forward with a raspy, "Hera-crah!"

"Pinsir, catch him with ViceGrip!"

The Bug-type made a scratchy noise of commitment, bringing his namesakes forward to capture Heracross. Said Pokémon was surprised, but Ash – half-expecting that exact countermeasure –immediately called for the Single Horn Pokémon to use Focus Punch. Heracross' eyes hardened as a bluish-white aura overtook his right forearm and he slammed it into his opponent's abdomen. Pinsir grunted in discomfort, digging his feet into the soft earth as the force behind Heracross' Focus Punch pushed him backwards several inches. "Use Swords Dance and then Vital Throw!" shouted Joey.

As his insectoid's pincers turned silvery and squeezed Heracross' horn, Ash ordered for his Bug/Fighting-type to use Endure. Heracross hunkered down slightly, preparing for Pinsir to toss him over his head and into a tree. Just like Sceptile before, Heracross latched onto the trunk after using his wings to stabilize himself; he took a quick moment to break through the bark and suck some sap before returning to the battle.

Ash sweat-dropped at his Pokémon's antics, but quickly shook it off. "Fury Attack!" Heracross attacked Pinsir with a ferocity that shocked both the Bug-type and Joey, using his horn and arms to swipe continuously at the Stag Beetle Pokémon. Pinsir took multiple attacks to his exoskeleton, flinching at the power the other Pokémon was displaying.

Desperate, Joey cried for Pinsir to use Submission; the brown beetle grabbed Heracross mid-strike and rolled over the ground, eventually heaving the Single Horn Pokémon into the air. Ash took advantage of Submission's recoil by yelling, "Hyper Beam, now!"

"Hera-crah!" He righted himself again, forming and firing an orange beam at the grounded Pinsir. The Bug-type couldn't do anything as he was struck head-on, the impact kicking up a smokescreen of dirt. When the debris cleared, Pinsir could be seen in the center of a small crater, unconscious.

"Good job Heracross," Ash complimented as the Bug- and Fighting-type set down on terra firma. Both trainer and Pokémon watched as Pinsir disappeared, to be replaced by the small form of a grinning, purple monkey with a large, 3-fingered hand for a tail – an Aipom.

Brock announced the beginning of the round, and Joey immediately told his Aipom to take to the trees. Ash grimaced slightly; he had owned an Aipom for a short period of time while journeying through Sinnoh, and they were agile, playful creatures. Contrarily, Heracross embodied the opposite of 'agile' and would end up having a harder time maneuvering the forest than the primate would.

"Double Team," ordered Joey, and soon one Aipom had multiplied into a dozen copies, all perched in different tree branches. Heracross looked around nervously, unsure what to do. He was saved the trouble when Joey followed up the evasive tactic by commanding for the Long Tail Pokémon to use Swift.

All of the Aipom opened their mouths and fired yellow stars at the Bug-type. The Single Horn Pokémon covered his head as he was bombarded from all angles by the Normal-type attack. "Fight it off Heracross!" encouraged Ash. Heracross' eyes acquired a determined look, and he quickly began countering the Swift attack with his horn.

Ash knew that his Pokémon wouldn't be able to hold up under Aipom's assault for much longer. Remembering the first battle, the Frontier Brain was struck by inspiration. "Heracross, try to dislodge the real Aipom by attacking the trees," he ordered. The blue beetle made a noise of assent, approaching the nearest tree and ramming it violently with his glowing horn.

The plant shook under the force of the attack, and the Aipom in the branches above teetered momentarily before fading away: one of the illusions from Double Team, obviously. With the continuing Swift attack striking his hardened carapace, Heracross repeated his move on the next three trees, finding only images in those too.

Ash knew they had hit home on the fifth hardwood when the Long Tail Pokémon cut off his offense and jumped to the next tree upon impact, simultaneously causing all the copies to fade. Heracross tried to follow the movement of the primate, but quickly became confused when Joey ordered for Aipom to use Agility. Soon enough, Aipom could barely be seen flitting around below the canopy.

"Hera…hera…" muttered the Single Horn Pokémon, looking around nervously.

"Relax Heracross, let him come to you," soothed Ash. The dual-type Pokémon nodded, relaxing his stance slightly and closing his eyes.

"Aipom, Focus Punch!"

"Use your own Focus Punch, Heracross!"

Aipom shot down from the trees in a blur, tailing burning a bright blue and curled into a fist. Heracross' forearm adopted the same sheen, and he threw the limb into the primate's attacking appendage. The two Pokémon were frozen in that position, Focus Punches delicately balanced against each other. A crackle could be heard by both their trainers, and Joey flinched slightly at the sound.

Ash, however, remained calm. He had witnessed enough clashes between attacks to know what that sound meant…an explosion of power was practically imminent. Unless he did something, of course.

"Double it up! Focus Punch!"

Heracross' second forearm took on the same color as the first. Before Joey could shout for his Pokémon to do anything, the Bug- and Fighting-type punched, striking the monkey-like Pokémon dead-on. There was a squeal of pain as Aipom flipped end over end in midair. The Long Tail Pokémon used his namesake tail to grab the nearest tree bough, jerking to an abrupt halt and hanging upside down.

Ash was suddenly immensely thankful that Heracross had decided to battle. The bug possessed a healthy amount of both offense and defense, not to mention his stamina. On the other hand, Aipom – while agile and certainly strong in their own right –were not known for their defense, and in fact could be easily defeated with a couple of powerful direct attacks; the super effective Focus Punch had certainly helped achieve that goal admirably. But Heracross had been in battle for awhile and was clearly tiring.

Aipom's tail-hand glowed pink, and Ash knew that he had to end the battle quickly, or else face the potential of Aipom evolving. _I thought only I had that much luck,_ he groused half-heartedly. On the opposite side of the battlefield, Joey breathed, "Whoa…" in an awestruck voice. Snapping out of his amazement, he quickly shouted, "Aipom, Double Hit!"

The Long Tail Pokémon chattered something unintelligible, but leapt towards Heracross with his usual dexterity. The primate's currently pink tail struck Heracross across the face before the insectoid could react; Ash yelled for his Pokémon to use Megahorn as the second hit came around. Heracross ducked the attack and then lifted, plowing his glowing white, trademark horn into Aipom from below and sending the smaller creature straight up. "Hyper Beam!" yelled Ash, knowing he only had the one shot before Aipom recovered.

"Hera-crah!" This time, the Pokémon's horn turned gold before the powerful beam of energy was fired vertically, engulfing Aipom and sending the monkey-like creature even further skyward and through the treetops.

Silence reigned for a solid five seconds as Joey, Ash, Brock, and Heracross stared at the hole made in the treetops by the latter's attack. "Heheh, whoops?" offered Ash, scratching his head as Heracross imitated his trainer. Before he could say more, a figure came plummeting back through the canopy, and Ash told Heracross to catch him. The Single Horn Pokémon did as he was bade, grunting as a larger, two-tailed purple primate landed in his arms. "Looks like your Aipom evolved into Ambipom after all," Ash observed.

Joey, too stunned to do much, could only nod. "Ambipom is unable to battle, so this round goes to Ash," announced Brock after a moment. "We will now move to the volcano field for the second part of the match."

As Joey returned his newly evolved Ambipom to his Pokéball, Ash did the same for Heracross. He put away the device in his lab coat before pulling out a second one, pointing it at the oddly-colored Noctowl and calling him back as well. "Alright, let's go," he said.

-l-l-l-

Misty stared across the still water of the lake, watching Staryu enjoy the clear water as Psyduck floated by in his inner tube; her recently caught Shellder rested nearby, as did Pikachu, whom Ash had left behind that morning. Mew floated just above the surface of the lake, giggling as Ash's Buizel shot squirts of water at it. Bare feet dipped in the water, Misty was forced to admit that the tranquility of the island's natural beauty was very therapeutic.

At the Cerulean Gym, Misty constantly found herself busy. It wasn't that her sisters didn't help – though Violet and Lily's contributions were always minimal at best – but that none of them really understood the responsibilities associated with trying to run a gym single-handedly (though Daisy had become more helpful over the years). The respite she was allowed due to Ash's quest had allowed her to momentarily forget about the gym, which in turn meant that she was recovering bits and pieces of her normal, feisty personality (something she had been slowly losing while trapped in Cerulean City).

Of course, good things couldn't last forever. Although Daisy was currently in charge of the Cerulean Gym, the Indigo League had begun a couple of weeks before Ash had started his journey, meaning that Daisy really didn't that much to do. The beginning of the competition at Indigo Plateau signaled a break period for the Kanto Gym Leaders until the new season began.

So Misty gave herself until the end of July – since the gyms officially reopened on the first of August – to follow through with her plans: to finally, at long last, work up the nerve to tell Ash Ketchum how she felt.

Brock's advice and, more importantly, his confidence regarding Ash and Misty's relationship swam through the red-head's mind constantly. It helped slightly that Misty had caught Ash acting somewhat out-of-character several times; not to mention that the Frontier Brain had quite obviously been checking her out on Mt. Ember. Then there was the gesture with his lab coat during the battle against Mewtwo's clones…

Hope – previously forbidden, skeptical, yet not wholly unwanted – blossomed within her chest. There was a _chance._ She would have to work carefully though…if their conversation in Seafoam was any indication, the entire idea of pursuing their friendship past its boundaries could blow up in her face.

Misty sighed as a wild Poliwag accidentally disrupted her Psyduck's floatation device, sending him toppling into the lake to flail around in a failed attempt at treading water. _Two months_, she thought, counting down the time she had with Ash and Brock before the Indigo Plateau announced the new season of its competition. Staryu deposited a water-logged and melancholy Psyduck on the bank of the lake.

_Two months to show Ash how I truly feel._

-l-l-l-

The ride to the volcano ecosystem was much quicker than Joey thought it would be. The (strange) Meowth-shaped hot air balloon parked on the outskirts of the forest took him, Ash, and Brock over a large part of the island, eventually settling down on an expansive (if rocky) stretch of hardened lava. Ash jumped out of the balloon basket and led the other two males over a small ridge; Joey was impressed by the sight in front of him.

Several pools of hot water were visible, steam rising and coiling from them in wispy tendrils. A couple of caves were carved out of the short cliff face, and Joey once again marveled at the wild Pokémon. Two Teddiursa were splashing around in one of the hot springs as a powerful looking Infernape (which the sandy-haired trainer automatically assumed to be Ash's) meditated in another spa. A Golem, flanked on either side by Graveler, stared down over the cliff side as a trio of Slugma slithered across the black, igneous rock of the terrain.

Joey pulled at the collar of his shirt, taking the back of his hand to wipe away the sweat accumulating on his brow. Looming in the background of the small cliff was a large volcano, which the Battle Frontier challenger assumed to be both dormant and source of the heat wave he was suddenly experiencing. "Sorry about the temperature," mentioned Ash, rolling up the sleeves of his lab coat, "can't really be helped, all things considered. Now, if you'll just stand over there, we can continue this match," he continued, gesturing to a slightly raised slab of rock across from his own position atop another rock.

Joey nodded and moved to the indicated spot, catching Brock mutter, "At least it's not as bad as Mt. Ember here." The spiky-haired breeder waited until both trainers had taken their spots before announcing, "Release your Pokémon and begin the next round."

Ash called upon Heracross, who took form upon the battlefield and immediately began to look around nervously. Joey felt kind of bad for the Single Horn Pokémon, who looked to be so uncomfortable in the hot environment and tired from his previous matches that he appeared ready to keel over at any moment. Still, a battle was a battle…"Marowak, I choose you."

The Bone Keeper Pokémon appeared in a flash of light; she expertly tossed the large bone she held from one hand to another. "Marowak, Bonemerang!"

"Maro-wak." The Ground-type threw her bone like a boomerang at Heracross, and Ash shouted for his Pokémon to dodge. Heracross, too tired and succumbing to the heat of his surroundings, took the bone right between the eyes. The Bug- and Fighting-type fell to the ground, knocked out, as the weapon returned to its user.

"You fought well, Heracross," complimented Ash as the bug disappeared into his Pokéball, "take a nice long rest." He paused for a moment, as if to consider his options, before calling out, "Hey, Quilava, I need you!"

Out of one of the ground-level caves rushed a three-foot long Pokémon with a denim blue top and cream bottom. "Quilava!" cried the Pokémon, the voice high-pitched and a tad squeaky; Joey guessed that, despite the rarity in gender, Ash's Quilava was a female. The Volcano Pokémon skidded to a halt in front of her trainer, firing up the crests of flames on her head and rear with another cry.

Ash laughed. "Looks like you're ready to go, huh buddy?" His Pokémon released a confirmatory squeaky cry, and the battle began. "Start things off with a Flamethrower!" The fiery crest on Quilava's head grew a little larger as red and orange flames spewed from her mouth in a powerful stream.

"Block it!" shouted Joey. Marowak immediately began to deftly twirl her bone like a baton, dispersing the flames upon contact. Ash was impressed by the maneuver but chose not to comment on it, ordering instead for Quilava to use Smokescreen. Thick black smoke engulfed the area. "Blow away all the smoke!" Joey commanded.

Soon enough, the smoke started moving in Ash's direction, and when it was all gone he could see that Marowak had increased the rotation of her bone to create a rudimentary whirlwind. Ash smirked; under the cover of Smokescreen, Quilava had hidden. "Keep your guard up Marowak," warned her trainer.

After a minute of tense stillness, Ash decided it was time to end the suspense. "Quilava, Flame Wheel!"

From one of the small hot springs burst Quilava, who instantly reignited the flames on her body and then rolled into a ball surrounded by fire. As the Volcano Pokémon wheeled forward, Marowak clutched the ends of her weapon with both hands. The Johto starter struck the bone, pushing the Ground-type backwards with the sheer force of her attack. "Marowak, Headbutt!"

Using her protective skull covering, Marowak rammed her head into the fiery ball that was Quilava, emitting a squeal of pain from the Fire-type. Quilava landed on all fours and shook her head, powering up the flames on her body. "Alright Quilava, let's get things started again," shouted Ash, "Aerial Ace!"

White streams of light surrounded the Volcano Pokémon as she soared through the air, landing two quick hits on her opponent. As she came around again, Joey yelled, "Bone Club!" Marowak took her bone and bludgeoned the incoming Pokémon on the head. Quilava reeled back with a squeal, but recovered and shot forth a Swift attack at her trainer's command. Surprised, Marowak was struck by the yellow stars but seemed unshaken by the assault.

There was a brief stand-off as Marowak and Quilava stared each other down. Ash was contemplative; Joey had raised his Pokémon well, of that there was little doubt. His Marowak had learned to deflect most special attacks with his specialized bone, and his Ground attribute left Ash on the bad end of a type disadvantage.

Another Bonemerang order was issued, and Quilava jumped aside to avoid the weapon, firing off another Flamethrower at the defenseless Marowak. "Marowak, jump and then use Bone Club from the air!" The Bone Keeper Pokémon leapt into the air, catching her returning weapon and angling down for an aerial assault on Quilava.

Ash was struck by inspiration. "Quilava, use Eruption! Put everything you've got into it!"

"Qui-lava!" cried the Fire-type. The flames on her body grew larger, until a pillar of red-orange fire erupted from the crest on her head, catching the airborne Marowak unaware and completely engulfing her in the inferno. When the smoke from the attack cleared, Quilava could be seen standing on her hind legs, looking around curiously while Marowak lay in a singed heap upon the ground, scorch marks decorating her skull helmet.

Joey grimaced slightly; Ash's Quilava was clearly very strong if she could take down his Marowak with one super-powered Eruption. Fortunately, with all the damage from Marowak's super effective attacks, as well as the energy exerted in producing the impressive Fire-type attack, Quilava probably didn't have much fight left in her. "One Pokémon left," he muttered. "It's all on you!"

Ash tried not to flinch as Joey's last Pokémon materialized. Standing across from Quilava was the large, somewhat rotund form of a Magmortar; the Pokémon pumped his arm cannons into the air and muttered something in a deep voice. Experience with Paul – as well as the long-recalled memory of fighting Blaine's Magmar – had taught Ash to be wary about battling Magby's evolutionary family.

"Quilava, Flamethower!"

The burst of conflagration issued from Quilava's mouth and consumed Magmortar. Ash remained optimistically hopeful that the attack had done something. Soon enough, the Blast Pokémon was revealed to have not a scratch on him. _Damn that family and living in volcanoes!_

"Magmortar, Fire Spin." A stream of fire spewed from the fully evolved Pokémon's mouth, shaped in a spiral pattern. It wrapped around Quilava and encaged her in a spinning vortex of heat. "Now, finish this with ThunderPunch."

The Blast Pokémon burst through the flames and loomed over his opponent, completely unaffected by the heat of his own attack. Sparks crackled along his glowing yellow fist, and Quilava cried out as the Electric-type attack connected with her body. She was propelled out of the Fire Spin and rolled along the ground as electricity danced across her body. The Volcano Pokémon struggled to rise, but the paralysis from Magmortar's punch combined with her previous exhaustion caused the Fire-type to faint. Brock announced the round's victory to Joey as Ash recalled his Quilava, thanking her for a job well done and promising her a good rest before they left for Johto.

"You're Magmortar's pretty powerful," he told Joey, "as is the rest of your team…"

"Thanks."

"But let's see if you have what it takes to defeat one of my strongest Pokémon," smirked Ash. "Infernape, let's go!" From the hot bath bounded the lanky Infernape, who barked his name in response to Ash's call. "Alright Infernape, let's see if your Flamethrower can do something!" Ash shouted immediately upon the start of the final round. The blaze expelled from the Flame Pokémon's mouth hit Magmortar and encased him in a fiery aura.

Magmortar stomped the ground and spread his arms, his body taking on a white outline; the fire disappeared, though Ash was pleased to see that Magmortar looked disgruntled at the power behind the assault. "Show him your Flamethrower, Magmortar!" called Joey. The Blast Pokémon grunted before using the Fire-type attack.

Instead of the usual red and orange flame color, the conflagration that came from Magmortar's bill-like mouth was red and white; Ash ordered for Infernape to dodge, feeling the heat of the attack from as far away as he was. "Well, doesn't look like fire's gonna work too well here," he muttered, "so we'll just have to get creative. Try using Mach Punch!"

Infernape's fist glowed light blue as he darted forward with amazing alacrity, striking Magmortar before the Blast Pokémon could properly defend himself. The Flame Pokémon struck again, but this time Magmortar retaliated, connecting both fists – one yellow with the power of electricity, the second covered in a fiery aura – with Infernape. The primate creature cried out as both the ThunderPunch and Fire Punch hit him, but he righted himself by performing a back flip and landed agilely on the ground.

Ash tried to take a moment to consider his next move, but Joey shouted for a Smokescreen, and the haste to protect Infernape overrode any of his plans. "Go underground!" he shouted as Joey yelled, "Lava Plume!"

Small explosions sounded from around Magmortar as fire and even more smoke billowed forth from the move. It seemed to take forever for the soot to clear, but when it did Joey's Pokémon could be seen standing in the middle of the battlefield, quite alone. A hole marked the spot where Infernape had dug underground in a hasty retreat from the impressive barrage. "Alright Magmortar, send a Fire Blast down that hole!" yelled Joey.

The Blast Pokémon moved forward, his claws on both hands disappearing inside his arms, creating yellow cannons. An orb of fire formed in front of the appendages; the flames were then directed into the opening.

Ash reacted almost instantly. "Infernape, Close Combat!" The Fire- and Fighting-type popped up from the ground behind Magmortar and began to combo punches and kicks in quick succession. With the other Pokémon's bulk and concentration focused upon his attack, Infernape was able to pull off a lot of damage before Magmortar turned around and exuded an ash gray gas in the form of a Smog attack.

The Poison-type attack obscured enough of the Blast Pokémon that Ash decided to wait until it had dissipated somewhat before taking up the offense again. While Fire-type attacks seemed to have little to no effect on Joey's Pokémon – which severely limited his move-set – it appeared that in close quarters Infernape would possess the advantage.

"Let's keep pressing that avenue then," he decided, noticing the Smog thinning. "Infernape, Mach Punch!" The primate darted forward speedily, getting inside Magmortar's guard…

"Magmortar, Hyper Beam NOW!"

Quicker than Ash expected, the fully evolved Fire-type loosed the powerful Normal-type move at point-blank range, sending Infernape screaming backwards. He lay on the ground, signs of fatigue decorating his body as Magmortar panted in exertion. "Infernape, please get up!" Ash pled, and to everyone's surprise Infernape began slowly climbing to his feet.

The Flame Pokémon's Blaze ability activated upon the motion, though Ash didn't think it would really help against his foe. He knew that Infernape only had so much energy left in him, so the last couple of moves would be critical; he would need to get close though to use his Fighting-type moves.

Joey apparently knew this too, for he immediately called for another Fire Blast. From Magmortar's cannons spewed white-hot fire. "Dodge it!" cried Ash as the tremendous fiery blast came his Pokémon's way. More conflagration followed in the form of a Flamethrower, and at his trainer's behest Infernape used Dig.

Magmortar looked around, as if trying to pinpoint where Infernape would come up next. "Mach Punch!" shouted Ash, and the ground beneath Magmortar's feet cracked to reveal the primate, hand encased in a light blue aura. The force behind the attack threw the heavy Magmortar into the air, prompting Ash to yell, "Follow up with Close Combat!"

Another series of lightning-fast kicks, jabs, and punches struck true; Magmortar – bulky and awkward without his feet on solid ground – was forced to take all of them, the last of which was a downward Mach Punch aimed to send him straight into the ground.

The hardened magma splintered under the impact as Infernape landed on one knee in front of Ash, breathing labored. When Magmortar could be seen clearly, it was obvious that he was unconscious. "Magmortar is unable to battle," announced Brock, "the winner of the match is Island Expert Ash!"

Ash wiped his brow, where sweat from the volcano's heat and intensity of the battle had accumulated. "Great job Infernape," he told the Flame Pokémon, "you deserve a nice break."

"Infernape," mumbled the Pokémon wearily, walking back to the hot spring he had originally been sitting in.

Across the way, Joey was frowning. "Well done Magmortar, take a long rest."

Ash approached the younger boy and smiled. "Hey, why the long face? You did a great job; I thought for sure you had me with that Hyper Beam."

The sandy-haired boy sighed. "It would've been nice to win."

"It's always nice to win," the Frontier Brain chuckled, "but you've done an excellent job raising your Pokémon. I can see now why you already have four Frontier Symbols. Why don't you try the Battle Factory next? It's near Cerulean City, and when you get another Symbol or two, feel free to come back and have a rematch with me."

Joey nodded as he, Ash, and Brock walked toward the hot air balloon. "Alright, but don't think that the next time will be easy," he warned, and Ash recognized the spirit and determination burning in the boy just as they had in him at that age.

"Oh," he realized, "that reminds me." From his lab coat, he produced and expanded a Pokéball. He threw the device in a high, overhead arc towards the volcano, and a stream of white light exited the sphere and entered the mouth of the geographical feature. Five seconds later, Moltres burst forth from the top, trilling shrilly, globs of gleaming magma dripping from its wings; both of them, Ash noticed, were completely functional now. The phoenix-like creature perched on the lip of the volcano, staring down its long beak at Ash before inclining its head in a semblance of a bow and disappearing back into its new home. "Well, looks like that worked out nicely," commented Ash, turning and climbing into the balloon basket. He raised an eyebrow at Joey's lack of movement (Brock was already firing up the gas). "Coming?"

Slack-jawed, the Battle Frontier challenger barely registered getting into the hot air balloon. _He had a Moltres at his disposal, but didn't use it?_ He stared at Ash in a mixture of awe, admiration, respect, and fear. _Just how strong is Ash?_

-l-l-l-

That night, Ash dreamed of a set of craggy islands surrounded by whirlpools in the middle of the ocean, and a disembodied voice that seemed familiar, though he couldn't place why.

"The Guardian of the Seas waits to be awakened by the Chosen's hand," intoned the female voice. "He slumbers in the depths, awaiting the sign of his own power.

"Remember Shamouti Island," echoed the voice, before fading away completely.

Rai's sky blue eyes watched over the dream-Ash as a small silver wing materialized within the male's grasp. The eyes disappeared when the feather was fully formed.

Ash woke up with a tiny silver feather in his hand and no memory of how it got there. He arrived at the breakfast table, staring in silent awe at the majesty of the small item held between his fingers. Pulling out a chair, he noticed Misty and Brock already eating, and grabbed some pancakes from a stack in the middle of the table.

There was silence for several minutes until Brock spoke. "I'm not going with you guys to Johto right away."

Both Ash and Misty's heads shot up at this announcement. "What?" they chorused.

Brock shrugged. "I've got some other business that I need to take care of for a couple of days. You two will be fine. Once I'm done, I'll catch up with you in whatever city you're nearest."

Ash nodded and returned to his meal. He was used to Brock disappearing at least once a month for several days at a time; the breeder always returned looking noticeably cheery, so Ash didn't pry into Brock's secret escapades. With Ash once again preoccupied by food, Brock shot Misty a small wink and mouthed, '_he's all yours'_ with a slight smirk. Misty blushed at the insinuation and resisted the urge to beat the ever-loving crap out of the older man.

Johto would be interesting.

-l-l-l-

Giovanni was very displeased.

As the underground leader of a villainous organization with the size and reputation of Team Rocket, an unsatisfied Giovanni did not bode well for his underlings. He ran his hand over his Persian's fur coat, allowing the motion to calm his annoyance.

Several hours ago, one of his Rocket Grunts had entered his office with an (apparently urgent) disc from their base within Five Isle Meadow in the Sevii Islands. Giovanni had watched the contents of the disc in full, his expression slowly morphing into a scowl as the video played forward. What he had witnessed portrayed ill omens of things to come for his employer.

Said employer – for Giovanni knew only that the man was rich and powerful, but nothing else – had approached Team Rocket's leader three months before (via a shadowy video conference) with an interesting prospect: if Giovanni would help him capture several Pokémon he desired, Giovanni would be handsomely rewarded. Part of that reward included regaining control of Mewtwo, a Pokémon which Giovanni knew nothing about at the time.

Upon recognizing Giovanni's skepticism, the man had explained that such a creature did, in fact, exist, and that the reason Giovanni couldn't remember was that Mewtwo had forcibly blocked any and all memories of himself from the former Gym Leader's mind. Giovanni had been given a way to contact the man if he was interested in discussing terms after looking into the incident leading to his targeted amnesia.

So he had. Careful evaluation of expense reports, travel logs, and activities around the supposed time the event had occurred forced Giovanni to conclude that something didn't add up. Three intense weeks of psychic probing and mental manipulation with a Hypno eventually unlocked the hidden memories like a dam bursting.

The crime boss had immediately contacted the other man, demanding to know what he knew, how he knew it, and what he wanted. No answers had been forthcoming, though the man had recommended surreptitiously hacking some of the technology present in the abandoned laboratory upon New Island.

Giovanni was only mildly surprised to find the place in relatively good shape, assuming that there had to be a reason his employer wanted him to hack the cameras. The bigger shock was discovering that Mewtwo had made the facility his current home. Team Rocket's leader had immediately wanted to reclaim the Pokémon for his own purposes, but he had been assured that it would happen in due time, when everything else was ready; in the meantime, he was to keep an eye upon Mewtwo, as both a precaution and a study.

Up until the arrival of this most recent video, things had been pretty dull. But now…

Now, some punk trainer – Giovanni identified the people in the video as Ash Ketchum, Frontier Brain of the Battle Island; Misty Waterflower, leader of the Cerulean City Gym; and Brock Slate, former leader of the Pewter City Gym – had captured Mewtwo _and_ Mew, and apparently at their behest (there was no audio on the camera, and since Mewtwo spoke telepathically this was merely an assumption, albeit a fair one, he thought).

This interference by the three humans did not bode well for his employer's plans. Giovanni pressed a button on his desk. A cabinet door across from his desk slid away to reveal a television screen, which flickered on to reveal a shadowed room with three more screens in the background. Seated in a large chair in front of the screens was his current boss, completely shrouded in darkness. Giovanni folded his hands together and placed them underneath his chin. "We have a problem," he said.

Without warning, the other three screens flickered to life, revealing the faces of Giovanni's coworkers. Maxie, leader of Hoenn's Team Magma, was standing in front of a large volcano, heavy machinery working tirelessly – if somewhat futilely – to excavate the rock behind him. Archie, leader of Hoenn's other criminal organization Team Aqua, could be seen tinkering on a submarine with several other Team Aqua members. The last screen depicted a squat, older man wearing glasses – this was Charon, current leader of Sinnoh's Team Galactic following the disappearance of Cyrus; he was sitting in a dull room, surrounded by computers and other technological innovations. "Giovanni," greeted their employer, and suddenly the other three syndicate leaders were paying attention, "what do you have to report?"

"Mew and Mewtwo have been captured, most likely under voluntary circumstances, by a young man named Ash Ketchum." All three other team leaders showed varying amounts of displeasure at the name, having trifled with the boy in the past. "According to my information," he continued, typing on his computer and pulling up numerous screens depicting Ash's recent activities, "he has recently traveled to the Sevii Islands, and has tickets to voyage from Vermillion City in Kanto to the harbor in Olivine City in Johto. Given his status as a Pokémon Researcher and that his field of study is Legendary Pokémon, I suspect that he aims to capture the ones within at least Johto, if not Hoenn and Sinnoh as well."

"Hmm," the shadowed man mused. "Maxie, Archie, Charon, what is your status?"

"We'll be ready to go in a week," spoke Archie. "All the preparations are in order."

"Progress is slow on this front," said Maxie, "but I would estimate that we have about two weeks until our objective is acquired."

"Research and search for the necessary relics are taking longer than expected," admitted Charon reluctantly. "I hesitate to put to a time stamp on our progress, but we are putting forth every effort to complete our assignment."

"Good, good."

"Would you like me to remove Ketchum as an obstacle?" inquired Giovanni.

The man in the chair held up a hand. "No, that will be unnecessary. How much progress have you made with your targets, Giovanni?"

"Limited," he grunted, "Johto mythology is an unfortunately broad subject, and I can find no clear indication of a way to achieve what you intend."

"We shall use Ketchum then," the employer decided. "Focus your attention on Johto, and make sure you know where he is at all times. When an opportunity arises to fulfill your obligation, strike without mercy. Mewtwo will be yours after my plans come to fruition. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Good. Report back when you have more information." Then the screen went black.

Giovanni scowled at the blank monitor. He would admit that he was grateful to the man for revealing Mewtwo's existence to him, but Team Rocket's leader disliked working for other people. Persian yelped as Giovanni's hand stroked a bit too roughly in his agitation. He would only have to deal with his employer for a short while longer. Then, what was his once would be his once more.

He stared at his computer, analyzing Ash's face. Nobody would get in the way of his goal; and if Ash Ketchum interfered, then the consequences would be on his head.

-l-l-l-

**Author's Note: **I'm so sorry that this took so long to put up...originally, I lost a bit of inspiration to write this chapter, but it came back after a bit of a break. I really wanted to put this up yesterday (for my 21st birthday), but after I finished it I was too tired to edit it and put it up. So here's my belated birthday gift to you guys (assuming you're still interested)!

The purposes of this chapter were to show how Ash runs his Battle Facility, as well as introduce the opposition to his journey to capture the Legendaries. Though it's vague right now, it'll make more sense in a couple of chapters. Also, to answer some concerns from the previous chapter: no, Unova will not be a part of _this_ fic; and although Ash seems undefeatable (apparently NOT A WORD, WHAT THE HELL?), he's a highly accomplished trainer with a severe advantage over the Legendaries in terms of both numbers and type advantage. No worries though...Ash will meet his match eventually. Also, no, there will not be any elaboration on Jessie and James' relationship...they don't play a big enough part in the story to deserve the expansion.

Oh, almost forgot. I put up a one-shot about Ash and Sabrina's friendship/relationship and how Ash gets Gengar titled "Indebted". It's not vitally important to this story as a whole, but it does explain a bit about what's going on between them; if you'd like to read and review it, that would please me ever-so-much.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter, and if you don't hate me enough from how long this took, please take the time to let me know what you think in a review! Next chapter, Ash and Misty are off to Johto...alone.


	9. An Aerial Adventure

**Disclaimer:**I do not own _Pokémon._

-l-l-l-

**Day 20**

Sex appeal, Misty decided, was an extremely potent weapon.

The voyage from Vermillion City to Olivine City aboard the _S.S. Aqua_ took only two days. In comparison to how long it took to reach the Sevii Islands from their Cinnabar Island departure point, the red-head couldn't exactly pinpoint why the lapse in time was so different. Having never been to the archipelago previously, judging the distance between Cinnabar to Knot Island and Vermillion to Olivine was difficult; eventually, Misty just chalked up the time difference to the purpose of the vessels.

The _S.S. Oceania_ had seemed to be more of a luxury cruiser, meant for its patrons to enjoy the atmosphere and attractions it offered, especially considering its destination of the Sevii Islands, a renowned vacation spot. In contrast, the _S.S. Aqua _was vaunted as a high-speed craft designed for quick journeys to and from Kanto and Johto's main ports. By using that logic, she guessed it made sense that the trip between the two regions was significantly shorter than the previous one to Knot Island.

To be perfectly honest, Misty found herself wishing the voyage had been longer. Compared to their previous cruise – where Misty had spent all of her time in her room while Brock distracted Ash – the red-head had decided to begin enacting her master plan.

…Okay, so she was really making it all up as she went along, but the important part was that it was _working_. And the extra days certainly would've been nice to further along her ultimate goal.

_ Never before had Misty so openly tried flaunting her femininity for the purpose of attracting someone of the opposite sex. It was a stratagem more befitting of her sisters – all of whom had a greater tendency to be more superficial when it came to men – but she thought that as long as her intentions were noble (for instance, attracting only the _one guy _with the purpose of forming a lasting relationship), perhaps using her feminine wiles wasn't a bad idea. After all, everything else aside, Ash was still a man, and what man could resist an attractive woman trying to…well, 'seduce' was a strong word, but it was accurate…him?_

_ Watching Ash slowly be pushed out of his comfort zone by her actions was also highly entertaining to witness, regardless of the scenario._

_ Misty tried to start simply, especially since there was no single formula designed for any woman to woo any man. She wasn't deluded enough to consider herself drop-dead gorgeous, as her sisters so painstakingly worked to make themselves, but if Ash's reaction to her outfit on Mt. Ember was any indication, her looks certainly seemed capable of garnering his attention. So she used that as a springboard point to enact her flirtations._

_ With the ship filled with people and Pokémon alike, Misty found it difficult to find the line between flirty and slutty. It wasn't that she was particularly embarrassed about doing something more risqué in front of people, but that whatever she did would have to stick within her personal guidelines of proper conduct. Ash especially, she thought, was the type of person to appreciate the importance of sticking to one's true self, and the red-head was most certainly _not_ a skank._

_ So it was that Misty found herself hanging around the pool area dressed in a simple blue bikini similar to the bathing suit she had worn on Knot Island. In reality, it wasn't too different from one of the outfits she wore at the gym when facing challengers. The glaring contrast wasn't actually the swimsuit itself, she supposed, but the intention behind wearing it._

_ Lying in one of the lounge chairs by the pool, a pair of sunglasses perched on her nose and her Shellder resting comfortably beside her, Misty felt content. The Bivalve Pokémon had proven to be a rather relaxed creature, often remaining relatively still when released from its Pokéball. Of course, part of that probably stemmed from the fact that Shellder had no real legs to speak of, but it was a nice contrast to how they had met in Seafoam. In the pool floated Staryu, the only one of her other Pokémon quiet enough to not disrupt the atmosphere of the cruise._

_ Things got even better when Ash walked by, a towel slung around his neck and a pair of red swim trunks on. Misty peered over the rims of her glasses, drinking in the sight of her best friend. It was one thing to see him in a tank top as she had on Mt. Ember; completely different (and far more enticing) was the image of the Frontier Brain shirtless. The red-head fought the urge to whistle in appreciation of his body, which looked smoothly toned and seemingly possessed not an ounce of fat. She marveled at that last fact momentarily, trying to reconcile it with the fact that the Ash she knew ate whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted; it almost seemed impossible that none of that food was present on his physique._

_ Then again, part of Ash's research involved lots of physical activity, plus whatever other exercise he did on a routinely basis, so she supposed that would balance out his ridiculous eating habits well enough._

_ Ash placed his towel on the chair next to hers, Pikachu moving towards the pool in an inner tube. The raven-haired male pulled a single Pokéball from his pocket, opening it to reveal a yawning Quilava, who immediately settled for a nap between the two trainers' chairs. Like Staryu and Shellder, the Fire-type was the only creature currently in Ash's possession (besides Pikachu) who could retain the proper conduct befitting the trip; the others – Bayleef, Croconaw, Donphan, Charizard, Heracross, and Noctowl – were either too large or rambunctious (or in Noctowl's case, preferred the sleeping in the darkness of the capsule to broad daylight) to roam the ship freely._

_ It was time, Misty decided, to enact her devious plan. Pitching her voice to sound far more innocent than usual, she asked, "Ash, can you put sunscreen on my back? I can't cover it very well by myself…"_

_ "Uh, sure Mist."_

_ She rolled over to settle on her stomach, revealing the creamy smoothness of her back to her best friend. Ash sat on the edge of her lounge chair, positioning himself to better access her back. For her own part, Misty allowed herself to simply focus on the feeling of Ash's strong hands as they applied the lotion to her body, reveling in the simple touch of her best friend. There was no need to think about whether Ash reciprocated her feelings in that moment…it simply didn't matter._

_ Ash's hands paused in their ministrations as Misty reached back and undid the knot keeping her bikini top tied. There was an audible gulp, followed by the stammer of her name. She looked back coyly, saying in the same innocent voice, "I don't want to get a tan line." Her eyelashes lowered slightly, adding to the seductive effect she was going for. "You'll still help me…right, Ash?"_

_ A light pout with just a tinge of piteousness sealed the deal. Ash mumbled something incomprehensible before hesitantly returning his hands to Misty's bare upper back. The red-head made sure not to move too much; being seductive was one thing, but allowing Ash to get an eyeful of her being topless was not exactly on her list of priorities. _Yet_, she mentally added, but quickly chased the perverse thought away. No use getting ahead of herself._

_After feeling that she had milked the sunscreen bit for all it was worth, she turned her head to face Ash. "Do you want me to do you?" Not trusting his voice, Ash merely shook his head vigorously. "If you say so," she half-shrugged. "Thanks a lot, Ash. __I _really _appreciate it.__" She watched him nod, about-face, and half-run into the pool. Quilava perked up at the loud splash caused by Ash's hasty – and somewhat clumsy – dive into the water. The Fire-type craned her head to peer at Misty curiously._

_"Your trainer should be grateful to me," Misty informed her. "When else would he get the chance to rub his hands all along a beautiful woman's bare back? He's so hopeless." The red-head met the wide ruby eyes of the Johto starter before Quilava yawned and settled back down to nap. Misty would be hard-pressed to admit it out loud – especially since she was a Water Pokémon trainer through-and-through – but there was something innocently cute about Quilava that drew her towards the Fire-type. She possessed an endearing quality not unlike the younger version of Ash when being particularly noble or oblivious._

…_The fact that that single quality could describe two completely unrelated personality quirks was relatively impressive._

_Misty stroked the top of Quilava's hand lazily with a finger. __Things are working out so far. Let's hope it all keeps up…_

That had been the previous day. Now, the duo was leaning on the railing of the ship as the _S.S. Aqua_ neared Olivine's pristine port, the lighthouse standing out clearly as a beacon to welcome them. The tower reminded Misty of the first time they had come to Olivine City, when Ash had been questing for the Mineral Badge from the resident Gym Leader.

A jealous knot slowly curdled in Misty's stomach at that thought. Jasmine was pretty, and Misty knew for a fact that Brock at least kept in contact with her, though that was presumably because Jasmine was a Steel-type expert and Brock possessed his own Steel-types (Steelix and Forretress) to look after. But did Ash talk with her? Was she like Sabrina, a close personal friend whom Ash dashed off to see at the drop of a hat? Or was she more like Erika, simply another female Gym Leader he had met once and then lost interest in?

Paranoia, thought the red-head bitterly, was not very becoming of her.

The uncomfortable feeling disappeared when the ship docked and Ash ran off with an excited cry of, "Come on, Misty!" Pikachu almost lost his balance atop his trainer's shoulder in the process, sending a small jolt into him for the jarring ride. She shook her head at Ash's childishness, but followed his path to the edge of an empty pier, where he proceeded to fidget by bouncing on the balls of his feet. It was almost surprising how quickly he regressed to his younger self; she hadn't seen him this spirited since perhaps just before Seafoam. "Hurry up Misty, let's go let's go let's go!"

Trying to look exasperated, Misty ended up smiling in spite of herself. "Ash, _chill_. Where are we even going?"

His arm shot out to gesture towards the open sea before him, index finger pointing to something beyond the horizon. "The Whirl Islands," he proclaimed with an air of 'isn't it obvious?' "Now come on, we're losing daylight."

"Fine, fine. Just tone it down a notch...you're freaking people out."

"But Mist, there's no one here."

"Well you're freaking me out, and I'm your ride." She withdrew Gyarados' Pokéball and opened it, releasing the serpentine creature into the harbor. Climbing aboard and taking her place atop his crested head, Misty added, "One of these days, you should really get someone you can travel over water with."

"I've got Buizel," he protested, "and Wartortle, too."

"Alright, someone who can take more than one passenger," she amended, "and who can go long distances. Like Lapras used to. I'm not always going to be around to ferry your sorry ass places." When Ash's only response was to stick his tongue out at her, Misty turned away and smirked. She signaled Gyarados to start moving. "Charming Ketchum. Real mature. Watch yourself though, or Gyarados might just _accidentally_ hit some turbulence and send you overboard." And then the voyage was underway.

-l-l-l-

Ash couldn't say for certain why he was suddenly so...hyper. It was probably a culmination of different things, though he certainly wasn't going to look a gift Ponyta in the mouth.

Part of it he could attribute to his battle with Joey. The challenge to capture the Legendaries had started to feel more burdensome as he had progressed throughout Kanto, what with the pitfalls in Seafoam, Magby being trapped under a rock, and then the wager with Mewtwo and watching his Pokémon, his friends, fight clones of themselves. But being back on the Battle Island, fighting a worthy opponent, seeing Moltres revitalized by its new home (as well as watching the other Legendaries create their own niches) had reminded Ash of both why he was chosen for the quest and what the true nature of the adventure was. With those ideas firmly in mind, Ash had regained his previously dwindling vigor for the challenges ahead, rekindling the fire of his spirit.

That, of course, meant that his peppiness and propensity for being excited – and therefore childish – were more active. Especially since Misty was currently his only traveling partner.

The Frontier Brain thought that his best friend might have played some part in his more somber outlook during Kanto too. Not her direct presence – because, in all honesty, Ash missed being able to hang out with her like they used to when they were younger – but simply because of the insinuations and frustrations associated with their talk in Seafoam and then his and Brock's argument on Mt. Ember.

Thinking ill of people was not something the researcher made a hobby of. But the simple fact of the matter was that most women seemed to see him as some sort of title or prize, sucking up to him for his perks and status rather than enjoying his company simply for him. The occasions had gotten rarer as Ash had gotten older, mainly because he had become distracted by studies and research that made him somewhat of a recluse from society (and even with Pokémon as a popular avenue of conversation or similarity, some people found his connection to the creatures a bit intense for their tastes). Regardless of that, outside of females closely associated with either his profession or League position (Misty, Sabrina, Anabel, to name a few), Ash found it easier to avoid those whose interest in him was based on reputation alone.

Those situations were exactly why Ash chose not to partake in dating or other expeditions of a similar nature, which was why having his two best friends try to push him into something he wasn't comfortable with irked him.

On the other hand, Ash would've had to be completely blind – or his prepubescent self – to _not_ notice the subtle clues both Gym Leaders were dropping to him. Brock had so cleverly pointed out that Misty – feisty, tomboyish, easily aggravated Misty – was not like other girls in respect to liking him for his renown. And the Frontier Brain would've quickly written off any ideas conjured from that suggestion if it weren't for two facts. First were the nagging thoughts of how he had begun to _notice_ the red-head: the shape of her body, the tone of her legs, how she suddenly looked more womanly and pretty. As a grown man – even for one as romantically uninterested as Ash – it was strangely difficult not to notice these things. But the second fact was the real kicker.

Misty was _flirting_ with him.

Oh, she was doing a good job of it, playing the line between best friend and being a woman interested in a man – especially considering that Ash's only _real_ evidence was the sunscreen incident the other day and the fact that she was wearing wonderfully enticing swimsuits (not that _he_ would admit that out loud) – but it was there nonetheless. Despite all hearsay, Ash was not totally oblivious to all things. Yes, there were still plenty of nuances or other things that flew by him, but after puberty had hit he had seen and been subjected to enough flirtation to understand when it was being used (…most of the time). If it wasn't for the fact that Misty was flaunting the fact that she was a woman when she had never really done so in all their years of friendship, Ash might've never caught on to her game.

And the strangest part was…it was _working._

Ash really couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around the idea that his best friend appeared to be attracted to him in a romantic sense. There was really no other explanation for what was occurring. Misty, as Brock had so astutely pointed out, was not interested in him for his title or status, nor was she the type of person to use such a quality as a precursor to dating someone anyway. That meant that Misty was actually looking to pursue some form of a more-than-platonic relationship with him, since he really couldn't offer any other reason for her behavior.

Even weirder was that he was actually _responding_to the flirtations. Sure, he wasn't flirting back (he was sure that, even if he _did_ know how to flirt, it would be a failure of an attempt), but the fact that his body was reacting to her subtle advances while his mind took a backseat was evidence enough.

And he just...didn't know what to do with all these signs. Such a situation had never really arisen before, and he found himself at a loss for how to follow it up. On the one hand, Misty was an attractive, intelligent, talented woman, who could probably land any guy she wanted (provided they could deal with her temper). On the other hand, this was _Misty_, his best friend, the person who had kept him grounded when his ego got too big, who had teased him and hit him and argued with him since the day they had met. He liked the way things were between them, and giving that up for a shot at a relationship – which he was sure he would be completely inept at – was a risk he wasn't sure he really wanted to take.

Especially since it was just him and her on a new adventure (at least until Brock showed up again). Fortunately, his excitement at continuing the challenge had overrode any of his worries about their relationship as they had disembarked the _S.S. Aqua. _That had allowed him to act more like his old self, which Misty was apparently still okay with. It boded well that, no matter what, each of them could still deal with the other's less-than-ideal personality quirks.

Ash was lurched from his thoughts by Misty's call of, "Land ho!" He scrambled to his feet, trying not to lose his balance along Gyarados' scaly hide. Misty turned to face him. "I can only assume that's what we're looking for."

The Frontier Brain followed the direction of his friend's finger, which was pointed directly at a craggy piece of land a fair distance away. Ash's eyes scanned the horizon, finding a second and third landmass on either side of and behind the first one, essentially shadows from the trainers' current position. "Yep. The Whirl Islands." He unclipped Charizard's Pokéball from his belt and tossed it into the air, releasing the dragon-like creature. Charizard roared and then swooped down to glide beside Gyarados, allowing Ash to clamber aboard his back. "Catch up when you can!" he shouted with a laugh as the Flame Pokémon took off.

Misty shouted something at Ash that was lost to the wind roaring in his ears. He patted Charizard's long, leathery neck affectionately. "Women. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em." His Pokémon snorted his own assent, and Ash remembered the female Charizard, Charla, who had inspired his own Fire-type to stay behind in the Charicific Valley to improve himself. "Trouble, plain and simple. But we wouldn't have it any other way, right?"

Charizard didn't respond, and the rest of the ride was made in silence. Soon enough, he was gliding over the first of the Whirl Islands. The Fire-type made lazy circles as his trainer looked out over the area, taking in the placement of the isles – set at the four points of a rhombus – and trying to spot any marked difference amongst them. Unable to do so, he signaled Charizard to fly to the center of the islands, where he withdrew the small silver feather he had received a couple of days ago. He twirled it around, thinking about what it represented.

Long ago, he, Misty, Brock, and their friend Ritchie had met up on Ogi Isle, a small deserted piece of land which was part of an archipelago between the Whirl Islands and Cianwood City. The entire chain of islands – called the Whirl Archipelago – was relatively small, but it was home to many Whirl Island enthusiasts, as well as the Whirl Cup competition. One of the islands was famous for the silver wings it crafted from its supply of silver rock stone, taking the form of the feathers from Lugia, which was supposed to have a habitat in the nearby Whirl Islands. Ogi Isle, in particular, had lent credence to that theory when Ash and his friends had rescued a baby and mother Lugia from the clutches of Team Rocket in years past.

Of course, even after years of searching, scientists and researchers hadn't yet located a Lugia around the Whirl Islands. Many people believed that lack of evidence didn't mean much, considering all the worship present in the Whirl Archipelago, and since Ash had actually _met_ a Lugia there years ago, he knew that the Whirl Islands would make an ideal place for the legendary Pokémon to hide. Lugia, he theorized, were probably very good at navigating the seafloors they guarded, and even if the archipelago natives found one, they would be reluctant to sharing its discovery with the rest of the world, fearful of outsiders intruding upon the legendary creature's habitat.

With the silver wing in hand, Ash knew without a doubt that there was some connection between the Lugia he was supposed to challenge and his current locale. The only problem was discovering it.

Ash held up the small V-shaped feather, allowing the sun to glint off its pristine silver color. He expected something to happen by doing so – what, exactly, he had no idea – but after a minute passed with no change in the area below him, he lowered his arm. "Damn," he muttered. _What am I missing?_

Sky blue eyes appeared in his mind's eye, a simple sentence accompanying the orbs. "Remember Shamouti Island…" he whispered, almost dream-like. His own eyes widened as the words permeated his brain. "Of course!"

He wasn't wholly sure how the entire event had even escaped his memory, considering that he had been bestowed the title of 'Chosen One' during it, but perhaps the trauma of the ordeal had made it more desirable to forget. When he had decided to take part in the Orange League, he and his friends had gotten swept away by a sudden storm and arrived on Shamouti Island. From there, he had been forced to collect treasures from the surrounding islands – Fire, Ice, and Lightning, which served as homes to a Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos – in order to restore peace to the area. During the entire event, a Lugia had appeared in order to do what it could to calm down the Legendary Birds.

So was that the answer? Would the presence of Kanto's elemental birds trigger some sort of reaction in the Whirl Islands, forcing a Lugia to appear? The idea was a bit ludicrous, considering that Lugia was a creature renowned far more in Johto than Kanto, not to mention that _another_ correlation between the Guardian of the Seas and the Legendary Birds – when they really had limited to no interaction – was pushing it a bit.

But still, Ash really had no other ideas to go off of, and the fact that Shamouti's prophecy had been fulfilled so accurately meant that there might be some plausibility in his theory.

"Ash!" The raven-haired trainer peered down over Charizard's side, spotting Misty and Gyarados fording across one of the whirlpools which were the islands' namesake. "What's going on?"

Cupping his hands around his mouth, Ash shouted back, "I'll be down in a minute!" He signaled Charizard to circle the sky, his eyes taking in all aspects of the terrain. The Whirl Islands weren't uniform in structure, composed of rocky spires of varying heights and jaggedness. Lugia, Ash remembered from his experience riding one, were quite capable of aerial acrobatics despite their great mass. The islands looked like they would provide little assistance as far as land-based battling tactics were concerned, leaving little area for long-range Pokémon like Pikachu or Bayleef to maneuver easily. And while using the surrounding water was a possibility for Croconaw, Lugia was not known as the Guardian of the Seas for nothing. Plus, it could easily just take to the air and snipe away at Croconaw while remaining relatively safe from counterattacks.

That just narrowed his options to the sky, which was ironic considering how vast a battlefield the sky really was. He nodded at his analysis, instructing Charizard to dive within distance of Misty. "We need to go back to Olivine," he said as he climbed atop Gyarados and recalled his own dragon. "We'll have to come back tomorrow."

Misty rolled her eyes. "You're so unprepared. Has _anything_ changed in the last 15 years?"

"Yes," replied Ash with a grin, "but nothing that I can show you in public." _Two can play at this game, Misty,_ he thought.

"So you say," she retorted before telling Gyarados to surf back to Olivine. "I look forward to seeing the evidence when we're in private." Ash tried not to gape at how easily she had turned his own innuendo against him; he managed to look stop looking like a beached Magikarp as Misty turned around to face him again. "So, are you going to tell me why we have to return tomorrow?"

As Gyarados surfed to the mainland, Ash explained his theory to his best friend. She remained quiet throughout his diatribe, but internally, her mind couldn't help but recall what had happened on Shamouti Island: Melody's flirtations, her own jealousy…the moment when she had risked her own life to save that of her male companion…

Her history with Ash was far more convoluted than she would've liked.

By the time they reached the Pokémon Center, the sun was almost completely hidden beyond the horizon. While Ash practically ran inside to rent rooms and turn in at least Charizard for a good night's rest, Misty decided to take her time approaching the building, admiring the view of the sunset over the ocean. The setting was unbelievably romantic, the ocean glistening in front of a backdrop of golden yellow and orange. It made the red-head a little melancholic that she couldn't share the moment with anyone.

She walked through the sliding double doors of the Pokémon Center and placed Gyarados' Pokéball on the counter, asking Nurse Joy to take care of him overnight. The pink-haired woman agreed with a smile, freeing Misty to locate Ash by the series of video phones that were standard in all the healing facilities. Pikachu, standing by his master's feet, turned to her as she made her presence known. "You know, that thing in your pocket that you picked up when we were at Mewtwo's island is also a phone," she commented dryly.

Ash gave her an almost sheepish glance. "I know. I just prefer using these phones. Kind of nostalgic."

"Oooh, big word for you."

"Yeah, well, you pick up some things when certain people aren't causing daily brain damage with mallets."

"You and I both know those were all deserved."

"That's a matter of opinion." Ash dug into his pocket and pulled out a key. "Rooms 13 and 14 are ours. I'm not sure which one this key is for, but it's all yours. I'll head to mine in a bit." Misty almost protested the separate rooms – after all, the pair of them (plus Brock) had always shared a single room in the olden days, even if they had gotten separate ones recently – but then decided against it. Maybe Ash was being considerate to her privacy as a woman. She took the key and walked down the hallway leading to their rooms, making sure to put a swivel in her hips as she went.

Ash watched the red-head's departing form with glassy eyes. A tug on his pants leg snapped him back to attention, and he looked down to see Pikachu's paws on his jeans. "Pika-chu, pi pika. Pi Pikachupi kachu, chaaa?"

"I wasn't staring," he replied indignantly, "but Mew be damned if her plan's not working." The electric rodent looked a bit confused at this statement – there were still plenty of human habits that he didn't understand – but said nothing else. Ash turned to the video phone and dialed the number for the Battle Island.

"…Hey James, I need a favor…"

-l-l-l-

They left around nine o'clock the next morning after picking up Gyarados and Charizard from Nurse Joy. The ride atop the Atrocious Pokémon was once again made in silence, both trainers lost in their own thoughts.

Ash decided not to ditch Misty again as they approached the Whirl Islands, but once they reached the first whirlpool by the closest isle he released Charizard and again took up position on the creature's back. Pikachu, who wouldn't be of any use in the battle against Lugia, he decided to leave in Misty's care.

Charizard gained altitude quickly, soaring above the rocky piece of land and giving his trainer his second good look at the islands. Ash withdrew three Pokéballs and opened them. Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres burst forth with varying cries. The Frontier Brain was suddenly immensely glad that the area was deserted; there was honestly no telling what the reaction of people would be to see the three Legendary Birds flying above the Whirl Islands.

Without a command, the trio split apart, each of them flying towards one of the other islands. Some sort of instinct, Ash figured, was what was guiding them, since to the best of his knowledge they had never really been to Johto before. He guided Charizard to hover over the remaining island, something the dragon seemed to protest slightly, given his indignant snort. Remaining airborne and stationary was not an action the Flame Pokémon took kindly too, especially considering he had far too much pride to be used exclusively for transport.

That was currently the least of Ash's problems though. Despite theorizing that the trio of elemental birds was a requirement to bring forth Lugia, he had absolutely _no_ idea what the specifications of such an arrangement was. In the Orange Islands, each of the birds had a sphere which had lit up with their own power when touched. Ash stared at the palm of his hand in memory, as if the ghost feeling of the comfortably warm orbs would bring him some form of inspiration. "What to do, what to do," he muttered, wracking his brain for ideas.

The effort was proven to be unnecessary as Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres took the situation into their own hands. Or the aviary equivalent, as it was. Ash watched as an Ice Beam, a Thunderbolt, and a Flamethrower were fired into roughly the center of the four Whirl Islands. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver feather, wondering if it would work now. Ideally, the three elemental attacks would act as stand-ins for the treasures, which meant that the small silver wing he possessed would be a catalyst for Lugia's summoning.

For the second time in as many days, he held the feather up to the sun. Light gleamed off it, but this time it suddenly acquired a silver-white aura. The area the Legendary Birds were firing in adopted the same sheen, one of the area's trademark whirlpools forming with the center at the combination point of the three attacks. Amazed, Ash could only stare as the swirling water widened to thirty feet in diameter, retaining the same silver-white shimmer as the feather clutched between his fingers.

Finally, the elemental triad cut off their attacks and remained hovering over the isles. They, along with Ash and Charizard, remained silent as a swirling torrent of water erupted from the epicenter of the whirlpool, reaching the height of the flying creatures. A huge pair of wings burst forth, breaking the vortex and causing the liquid to collapse back into the sea.

Ash pocketed the silver feather and then recalled the Legendary Birds as he took in the sight of Lugia. The Guardian of the Seas was easily 15 feet long from head to tail, and possessed a wingspan just as impressive, each of the appendages having five, finger-like digits, almost like a hand. Silvery-white feathers – arranged in a fashion so tightly layered they appeared to be skin – covered its entire body except its stomach, which was a pale blue. Deep bluish-purple miniature flap-like wings – five along each side of the spine – ran along its back, with a pair of similarly colored spikes protruding from its tail and also accenting its eyes. Ash couldn't remember the last time he had faced a Pokémon so large…even Snorlax and Moltres, big Pokémon in their own right, paled in comparison to Lugia.

The Diving Pokémon stared at Ash, not even making a sound, just…waiting, hovering in midair. Ash snapped out of his daze, realizing that the Psychic/Flying hybrid was prepared for battle and simply awaiting his move. "Heracross, you're up," he said, snapping open the Pokéball. The blue insectoid immediately opened the wings hidden under his carapace, vibrating them quickly to stay aloft.

Heracross, while capable of flight, was not someone Ash regularly relied upon for aerial combat, let alone in a fight so high above the ground (or the water, in this case). He was relying more upon the Single Horn Pokémon's endurance to flesh out some of Lugia's attacks and strategies to better plan his own. Not only that, but Heracross was far better at physical combat and lacked a bit of the maneuverability many of his other Flying-types – Swellow, Staraptor, even Charizard – possessed.

A violent blast of water was all the warning Ash had that the battle had begun. "Heracross, Megahorn!" he shouted quickly. The insectoid's horn turned white as he positioned it in the path of Lugia's Hydro Pump. Heracross gritted his teeth as his trademark split the flow of liquid, though he was still pushed back in the process. As the deluge ended, Lugia opened its mouth and fired a multi-colored beam of energy at Heracross, which the Bug- and Fighting-type dodged.

Following that up, Lugia formed a series of silver orbs – at least two feet in diameter – and sent them flying towards Heracross. Knowing his Pokémon wouldn't be able to avoid them all, Ash ordered a Fury Attack to counter them. Heracross would take some damage, but slight collateral was better than a direct hit.

Another Hydro Pump followed Heracross' counter, necessitating Ash to call out an immediate Hyper Beam. The attack lanced through the stream, forcing Lugia to cut off its own assault and bank out of the way. The Frontier Brain took the moment afforded by the Legendary's movement to consider the battle.

Lugia was keeping Ash on the defensive; the rapid-fire attacks made that perfectly clear. Whether that was because it was intelligent enough to know that Heracross was unsuited for long-distance fights or simply because that was its tactic, Ash wasn't sure. The good news was that the Diving Pokémon would eventually wear itself out with such a strategy; the bad news was that Ash had to actually _last_ that long. He had half-prepared himself for the aerial battle by asking James to send over a couple of his Flying-types in addition to the Legendary Birds, but now the question of 'will it be enough?' was surfacing.

Ash's attention returned to the fight in time to see a blue energy beam strike Heracross in the abdomen. "Alright, that's enough Heracross, return," he stated, withdrawing the Single Horn Pokémon before any more damage could be done. "Thanks for the help," he whispered, mind grappling for a strategy. _Okay, Lugia can use Hydro Pump, Extrasensory, AncientPower, and Aeroblast, at the very least. So it has a lot of variability in its attacks, as well as a fair amount of strength behind them, and it's probably relatively agile despite how freaking huge it is._

Charizard craned his head around and growled to get his trainer's attention. Ash patted his leathery neck in a placating gesture. "Sorry buddy, I don't think you're the right guy for the job here." The raven-haired trainer unclipped another Pokéball and opened it, revealing the almost seven foot purple form of Gliscor. The bat-like Pokémon rose elegantly above his trainer, floating vertically a good 15 feet over Ash's head.

With both Hydro Pump and AncientPower (and who knew what else at its disposal), Lugia would be a horrible match-up for Charizard. The Flame Pokémon had certainly fought against some astounding odds in the past, and Ash had little doubt that, given the opportunity, he would battle the Diving Pokémon until he either won or his pride allowed Lugia to get the better of him. Even with the fact that Charizard was far better with special attacks than any of his other (allowable) aerial creatures, Ash got the feeling that using the fiery dragon would be a bad idea.

Not to mention that trying to dismount the Fire/Flying hybrid in midair and resettling himself upon a different Flying-type was an endeavor he would rather not undergo.

No, Ash was going to rely on speed during this aerial duel with Lugia. Both Charizard and Heracross were slightly lacking in that area (endurance prowess aside, and Charizard far less so than Heracross), and so the Frontier Brain decided to use the Pokémon equivalent of guerrilla tactics to both avoid Lugia's long-range attacks and whittle away at the hulking creature's stamina. Guardian of the Seas or not, the Legendary Pokémon should theoretically only be able to move so fast, and certainly not faster than Gliscor, who had been specially trained to attack and then fall back (at least, he had with Giga Impact). Still, Gliscor was part Ground-type, so Ash would have to be wary of Hydro Pump or – heaven forbid – any Ice-type attacks Lugia knew.

Lugia decided to open the new round with another Aeroblast. "Stone Edge!" shouted Ash. Two rings of white pellets formed around Gliscor's body, crisscrossing diagonally over his wings. They solidified into bits of rock, which Gliscor directed at the incoming blue beam. Ash watched as the scattered pebbles fell from the collision, mentally applauding his quick thinking in negating the attack. "Gliscor, move in close and hit it with a Night Slash," he directed.

"Glis-cor," agreed the Pokémon, swooping down to build a little momentum. Lugia fired a series of Extrasensories at the Fang Scorp Pokémon, all of which were narrowly dodged by swift midair veers (on the other hand, Charizard was forced to flap hard and shoot a Flamethrower down to propel himself and his trainer out of the range of several of the errant shots). Suddenly, Lugia stopped attacking and just hovered in midair. Ash hesitated slightly, wondering if the large creature was planning something, but Gliscor was already too close for Ash not to take advantage of the opportunity and pull back now. Gliscor's claws turned violet before he slammed one of them against Lugia's chest and then continued to fly under the Legendary. Lugia turned to face him as the bat-like Pokémon hovered in the air, awaiting his trainer's next command.

"Get in close with Quick Attack," Ash ordered. Gliscor zipped forward, a white trail tailing him as Lugia fired another Aeroblast. The larger creature craned its neck to follow its opponent with its attack, forcing the Fang Scorp Pokémon to zigzag and swoop awkwardly to avoid the continuous beam. When Gliscor was close enough, Ash shouted, "Giga Impact!" A lavender bubble surrounded the Ground/Flying hybrid, golden-yellow streams of light trailing out from a singular point at the front. Gliscor slammed into the base of Lugia's neck, causing it to cry in a mixture of pain and anger as the purple Pokémon spun head-over-tail away.

Before Ash could even celebrate his Pokémon's success, a strong wind picked up, and then a massive ball of multicolored energy struck Gliscor squarely in midair. While Gliscor was still stunned by the attack, Lugia became encased in an aura not unlike Giga Impact, except colored a light blue. The Diving Pokémon rushed forward in a burst of speed, slamming into Gliscor with unbelievable force and sending the Ground- and Flying-type rocketing backwards.

Ash's brain slowly returned to the situation at hand as his friend careened several hundred feet away from Lugia. _What…just happened? That energy…was clearly some sort of Psychic-type attack. But Lugia didn't do anything, so…wait. _The Frontier Brain's eyes widened as realization struck. _When it didn't move…Lugia wasn't doing nothing, it was using Future Sight! And then that aura was Dragon Rush. Man, Lugia's simply incredible!_ "Gliscor," he called out worriedly, "can you keep battling?"

"Glis," affirmed the Pokémon, having righted himself. Ash hesitated, noticing how weary Gliscor appeared, but he could sense determination emanating from the Fang Scorp Pokémon, and so decided to let him continue. Gliscor countered an Extrasensory with a quick Stone Edge, swooping in close with an X-Scissor as Lugia cut off its assault and used Swift.

The Bug-type attack allowed Gliscor to crush any of the golden stars that he couldn't outright dodge while he used his speed to land another powerful blow on Lugia's chest. The Guardian of the Seas let out another roar of pain, and Gliscor was a fraction too slow to avoid the swing of his opponent's massive tail as he tried to fly out from beneath the Legendary.

Gliscor was sent tumbling towards the water far below as Lugia aimed down and fired an Aeroblast straight at him. "Gliscor, MOVE!" Ash bellowed, half-panicked. Golden-yellow eyes snapped open, followed immediately by the small, leathery wings. The blast only clipped the exhausted Fang Scorp Pokémon, who turned swiftly to face Lugia. The Legendary Pokémon threw itself into another Dragon Rush, and Ash hastily shouted for his friend to use Giga Impact to counter.

The ensuing collision resulted in a cloud of smoke covering the area of impact, though Gliscor's purple form burst through it a moment later in the same backwards somersault as before, headed not into the air, but straight for the sea. A powerful jet of water followed him out, striking the Ground- and Flying-type and completely engulfing him. Ash cried out at the sight of the Fang Scorp Pokémon spiraling towards the ocean in freefall.

He managed to recall the bat-like creature into his Pokéball, staring at it morosely. Whenever one of his friends took such a beating, he always felt a bit at fault for putting them through such a situation, though often his Pokémon were willing to fight past their limits all for his sake. On one hand, Ash was grateful for the trust and loyalty they had for him, but in situations where they got completely thrashed, the Frontier Brain couldn't help but regret not recalling them sooner. Hindsight, unfortunately, was always 20/20.

As the smoke cleared, Ash tried to judge Lugia's condition. The giant Psychic/Flying hybrid didn't look to be overly affected by Gliscor's assault, but then again, many of the Fang Scorp Pokémon's attacks had struck the Legendary's underside. Lugia's size also made the extent of its injuries a bit difficult to properly assess, but Ash assumed that if only Gliscor was necessary to weaken it, Lugia probably wouldn't have looked as ready for the next round as it was.

Beneath him, Charizard let out a snort of restlessness, clearly growing aggravated with playing the equivalent of chauffeur. Ash permitted himself a moment of sympathy for one of his oldest companions, knowing that constant hovering with a passenger was proving a great test to Charizard's character. It was even worse because he still felt that the fiery dragon was still not the optimal choice for this battle. Granted, he might soon be forced to resort to the Flame Pokémon, but in the meantime, Charizard was going to stay on the sidelines. He snapped open the only other Pokéball he had had James transfer to him, revealing the brown- and tan-feathered form of Pidgeot.

Lugia launched an AncientPower at the bird, which Pidgeot immediately countered with a Twister on Ash's directive. The silvery orbs of the Rock-type attack were caught in the powerful cyclone, which whipped the AncientPower right back at its user. Lugia's large wings spread out wide, and a moment later, a cerulean-colored barrier appeared in front of it, repelling the assault. "Safeguard," Ash growled, mildly frustrated. The Guardian of the Seas had a lot of tricks up its sleeves, but Ash had faith in his Pokémon. All he had to do was enact the same strategy he had with Gliscor.

Except that Pidgeot was built far better for guerilla tactics than the Fang Scorp Pokémon was. As a Hydro Pump began bearing down on the Bird Pokémon, Ash commanded for Pidgeot to use Agility. She vanished as the stream of water zeroed in on her position, reappearing above Lugia and striking the larger creature with one glowing white wing. The Flying-type disappeared again, coming into sight some distance behind the Legendary and firing an Air Slash which Lugia dispersed with a hit from its tail.

Turning around, Lugia fired an Extrasensory at the bird, who raced forward in a speedy Quick Attack as her trainer's behest. Pidgeot struck the other aerial Pokémon and soared away, again stopping behind the larger beast. "Pidgeot, keep it up!" Ash encouraged.

The raven-haired trainer watched as Pidgeot used a series of Quick Attacks, simultaneously wearing Lugia down and dodging any of the energy beams it shot at her. He was impressed with how well the hit-and-run strategy was working; Pidgeot wasn't really taking any damage from Lugia, and the Legendary was wearing itself out faster than the Bird Pokémon was. Though, considering his Pokémon's stamina in comparison to the Legendary's, the battle would probably have to end soon anyway, otherwise Pidgeot would run out of energy.

Then, instead of trying to follow Pidgeot's movements, Lugia moved forward in a hasty Dragon Rush, hurtling its full mass into the bird and sending Pidgeot tumbling backwards with an angry screech. She countered with a violent Gust in an effort to right herself, but another Safeguard negated the twister.

Ash frowned slightly. Pidgeot's small attacks could only wear down Lugia for so long before he would need some sort of finisher. And the problem was that Pidgeot didn't really _have_ a final move. She wasn't like Gliscor, Heracross, or Charizard, who had moves like Giga Impact, Megahorn, and Overheat; she wasn't even similar to his other bird Pokémon – Staraptor and Noctowl – who possessed attacks like Brave Bird and Sky Attack (Swellow, unfortunately, also didn't have any real finishers).

Pidgeot narrowly dodged an Aeroblast with a fast Agility. What Ash wouldn't give for one of _those_ moves, something to show Lugia what it was like to be under fire from…its own…attack…

_Wait a minute…_ Another Aeroblast was bearing down on the Bird Pokémon, and Ash grinned at his sudden burst of inspiration. "Pidgeot, dodge it, then use Mirror Move!" he yelled excitedly. His Pokémon folded her wings, dropping just enough to avoid the blue blast of energy before flaring suddenly, wings spread wide. A square, translucent barrier formed in front of her chest, a small blue dot in the center rapidly growing larger. Within seconds, Lugia's own trademark attack was bridging the distance between the two Flying-type Pokémon.

Surprised, Lugia took the Aeroblast took the chest, in the same spot Gliscor had already hit several times before. The Diving Pokémon released a shriek as it was struck. As if in slow-motion, the Legendary's form drooped, its eyes closed, and it fell head-first out of the sky. Below it was the smallest of the Whirl Islands, and Ash became immediately worried at the harm that would befall Lugia if it collided with the land mass.

He signaled Charizard to head towards Lugia as fast as he could, and when he was close enough, he chucked a Pokéball at the falling Legendary. Thankfully, Lugia's size made it unlikely that he would miss the throw, and the large white Pokémon was sucked into the capsule in no time flat. Ash watched with bated breath as the sphere continued to drop out of sight. When Lugia's form didn't burst forth from the ball, Ash pumped his fist in the air and allowed a huge grin to overtake his features.

"Alright!" he cheered. "We caught Lugia!" Pidgeot crowed happily alongside her trainer as Charizard roared his own approval. A new sound cut through the trio's happiness – the roar of Gyarados from far below – followed by Misty's shout of, "ASH! OVER THERE!"

The Frontier Brain looked down at his best friend, following the direction of her outstretched arm with his gaze. His brown eyes widened when they landed upon what Misty was surely pointing at.

Standing on the water not 100 feet from where Misty was stationed atop Gyarados' head was a sky blue quadruped with white rhombus markings on its skin. A purple, cloud-like mane billowed out from the creature's skull, upon which was mounted a two foot aquamarine crest, shaped like a hexagonal crystal with a similarly-shaped hole in the center. Two white, ribbon-like tails flowed around its body, whipping around in the salty breeze. "Suicune," Ash whispered, and almost as if it heard, the Aurora Pokémon looked up at Ash. _From one Legendary right into the next. Well, at least I don't have to work to find –_

Suicune turned and ran.

_NO!_ "Charizard, down! Pidgeot, grab Lugia's Pokéball and catch up to us when you can!" Pidgeot immediately swooped towards where the Pokéball had fallen while Charizard dove towards Misty at Ash's command. "Grab on!" he shouted at her as they neared, holding out his arm. Her own hand came up and clasped his around the forearm. Grunting with effort, Ash hoisted her onto Charizard's back just behind him as Pikachu leapt from one dragon to the next, then shouted, "Follow Suicune, Charizard!"

Misty hastily recalled Gyarados as the Fire- and Flying-type flapped twice and took off in pursuit of the Legendary Beast with a bellow.

The chase was on.

-l-l-l-

**Author's Note: **Yes, I'm still alive, and no, I haven't abandoned this story. Inspiration has just been…short, for the past number of months. Pieces of this just would not be written, and despite having run through it a number of times, I'm still not sure it turned out exactly as I wanted it to.

I offer my sincerest apologies for the LONG wait. My focus has been more on my other story, which has become a little bit easier to write and is far closer to completion than this is. So I'll be focusing on that one a bit more intently and returning to this when I can (when inspiration strikes). I will not abandon this…updates will just be extremely sporadic. I apologize to all the fans…I will do my best to keep plugging away at this.

Yes, I know that Pidgeot can learn Sky Attack, but she doesn't right now. And yes, I changed the whole Whirl Islands thingy with Ogi Isle and all that to not take place on the Whirl Islands, but in an archipelago close to it. I'm waving my fanfiction flag as a symbol of my right to change what I will.

In the meantime, feel free to let me know how I did in a review. Gotta make sure I haven't completely lost my touch.


	10. The Evolution Solution

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Pokémon._

-l-l-l-

**Day 21**

Arms gripped tightly around Ash's waist and blood pounding in her ears, Misty fought hard to control her racing heart. It wasn't necessarily the proximity to her love interest that was causing the frenetic thumping – though that was certainly a contributing factor – but rather an amalgamation of things.

For one, flying was not exactly near the top of her 'things-I-like-to-do-in-my-spare-time' list, given that she was a Water Pokémon trainer and had limited experience with airborne travel. The fact that Charizard was currently rocketing through the skies to follow the racing form of Suicune down below made the current experience even more unsettling. That wasn't to say that the red-head wasn't enjoying herself; quite the contrary. The flight was exhilarating in a terrifying sort of way, the wind whipping through her fiery locks and causing her to clench Ash's waist just a little tighter.

As if that wasn't enough, the mere idea that she and Ash were chasing _Suicune_ of all Pokémon was simply astounding. Suicune was the epitome of Water Pokémon, embracing and balancing all the different aspects of water which she strived to model her own fighting style after. Tranquil and vapid one moment, torrential and cascading the next. But Suicune was more than that…it was graceful, noble, and serene.

Down below, the lithe Pokémon nimbly jumped across the ocean, barely made any ripples on the water as it leapt towards the mainland. Such an act was a testament to just how perfect a Water-type Pokémon Suicune was.

Misty sighed dreamily. Ash spared her a short glance. "Everything alright back there?"

"Mm-hm. Just…Suicune's _amazing_."

Ash rolled his eyes before returning his gaze forward, trailing after Suicune with sharp intensity. _Women,_ he huffed mentally. _Actually,_ he corrected, shooting his friend another glance, _it's probably just a Misty thing._ A small grin wormed its way onto his features at the thought.

The Glitter Lighthouse was well within view when Pidgeot caught up with her trainer, flapping hard to stay even alongside Charizard. Clutched in the bird's talons was the Pokéball containing Lugia. "Hey girl," Ash acknowledged, holding his palm out, "good job." Pidgeot dropped the sphere in his hand, crooning proudly under the male's affection. "Take a rest," he said, recalling the Flying-type. Brown eyes returned to following the Aurora Pokémon.

Suicune easily jumped the railing that lined Olivine's piers, racing along the wooden platforms towards the hustle and bustle of the city. Shouts and cries rose into the air as Suicune sprinted past pedestrians, spilling groceries and purses alike. Hats flew into the air as the northern winds Suicune embodied gusted in the creature's wake, rustling skirts and mussing loose hair. Ash shot a look at the city's clock tower as they flew over the seaside environment, noting that it was almost two o'clock in the afternoon. _Man, we've been gone for awhile…_ Despite the lapse of five hours, they had made good time, especially with how long it had taken to surf to the Whirl Islands. Flying was clearly the quicker mode of transportation, if a bit more tasking on the Pokémon.

The only question was how long Charizard could last while ferrying two adults around Johto.

Olivine's urban grey landscape faded into the distance as Suicune darted towards the spruce and pine trees that lined Route 39. It was fortunate that the Water-type Legendary seemed to _want_ to be followed, as Ash was sure that it could easily lose them in the thicket of the sprawling forest. The raven-haired trainer signaled Charizard to take it easy, prompting the Fire-type to glide after their target rather than actively push to chase it. After all, there was no point in tiring out the Flame Pokémon unnecessarily if Suicune didn't want to lose them.

Time passed by in a blur as they flew above the canopy. The sprawling grassland of the MooMoo Farm was off to the west, herds of Miltank grazing peacefully in their pastures. Through an opening in the treetops, Ash saw Suicune suddenly bank away from the farm, shooting northeast to where he could spy a large clearing set in the middle of the trees. He tapped Charizard and directed him to follow.

The conifer forest opened to reveal a crystal clear blue lake with a single Pokémon Center sitting off to the side. Behind him, Ash heard Misty gasp. "Lake Lucid," she whispered in awe. "It's been so long since we've been here."

"…Yeah."

Ash could feel Misty's eyes boring into the back of his head. "You don't remember this place, do you?"

"Ehh…"

"You're absolutely hopeless, you know that?" Without letting him respond, she continued, "Lake Lucid is famous for its specialty in Water Pokémon healthcare, even though the Nurse Joy here is terrified of Water Pokémon. How can you not remember this place?"

"Hey, you know as well as anyone that I went on a _lot_ of adventures when I was younger. _Excuse me_ if I don't remember every place that we visited."

"Well you don't have to be so snarky about it." Ash rolled his eyes good-naturedly in response. "It looks like Suicune's stopped running."

The red-head's statement turned out to be true. Suicune stood atop Lake Lucid's pristine water, head angled to watch its pursuers. "Charizard, down," Ash commanded, patting the dragon's leathery neck. The Fire-type descended in lazy circles, landing with a heavy _thud_ not far from the Pokémon Center. Ash allowed Misty to disengage her arms from around him and slide off Charizard before disembarking the dragon himself. He and the Aurora Pokémon engaged in a stare-down, the zephyrs that followed Suicune whipping its ribbon-like tails around and causing his purple mane to billow out behind him. The canine-like Pokémon truly was a majestic sight to behold.

Misty poked Ash's shoulder, dragging him from his stupor. "Why do you think Suicune led you out here?" she queried.

The Frontier Brain shrugged. "Could be a number of reasons, really. Suicune is said to be able to purify any form of contaminated water, so it's possible it feels connected to large reservoirs of clean water. I'm also betting that because it's a Water-type Pokémon, it likely wanted to give itself as much of an advantage as possible. And since Suicune is rumored to run all around Johto, it's also not surprising that it knew of this location previously."

Misty gave that a moment of thought. "Are you telling me that Suicune lured you out here _intentionally?_"

"It seems likely. Look around," he gestured. "For all intents and purposes, we're secluded in the middle of nowhere at a site that is, according to you, renowned for its treatment of Water Pokémon. Seems like the perfect setting for a battle with a Legendary Water-type."

"Then why didn't it just challenge you on the ocean?"

"Probably wants to make the fight fairer for me." He turned to face Suicune. "Is that it?" The canine-like Pokémon bowed its head slightly, acknowledging Ash's point to be true. "A very noble Pokémon. I'm ready for you, Suicune. Bayleef, let's do it!"

The Grass-type appeared in a flash of light, baying her name cheerfully. She turned and tackled Ash, nuzzling the underside of his chin affectionately. Ash, prepared for such an action, merely laughed and patted the Leaf Pokémon on the head. "It's good to see you, too. But we have a big battle ahead of us."

"Bay!" asserted the Pokémon, suddenly all business. She turned around to face Suicune, stance stable and prepared for anything. Almost immediately, Suicune attacked, blowing out a stream of multicolored bubbles at the Grass-type.

"Counter with Razor Leaf," Ash commanded easily. Bayleef swung her head, sending a flurry of sharp leaves at the BubbleBeam. They popped the spheres and continued on towards Suicune, who quickly blew them astray with a heavy Gust, reinforcing its image as the embodiment of the Northern Winds. The Water-type then fired an Aurora Beam, the rainbow of colors soaring towards its target. Bayleef avoided it with ease, the sheer distance between her and Suicune proving to be a boon for evasion. Suicune spewed forth another BubbleBeam, which Bayleef popped with a Vine Whip at Ash's behest. The two green vines then began to chase the Legendary Beast, forcing the Aurora Pokémon to execute a series of nimble leaps and jumps to avoid getting hit.

While Bayleef kept Suicune on the defensive, Ash thought about what he could do. The distance Suicune was keeping by staying on Lake Lucid's surface made it unlikely that Bayleef would take any significant damage, but the reverse was also true. It was fortunate that his Grass-type had ranged attacks; being forced to use someone like Heracross or Donphan, who were almost exclusively direct, physical Pokémon, would've put him at a _huge_ disadvantage.

That wasn't to say he didn't have to be careful though. The Frontier Brain's own unorthodox battling style had taught him that type advantage – which, at the moment, he held – didn't mean as much as people thought in the long run. Even then, Suicune possessed Flying- and Ice-type attacks, both of which were super effective against the pure Grass-type Bayleef. And on top of all that, Suicune was more limber and agile than the sturdy Leaf Pokémon. Ash needed to find a way to hinder the Aurora Pokémon's speed and potentially even drag it to dry land if he wanted to get some sort of advantage in the battle. "Bayleef, try to trip Suicune up!" he shouted suddenly.

"Bay bay!" The two vines immediately diverged from their attack pattern. One angled in from the side, attempting to strike the Water-type on the flank. Suicune skipped left to avoid it, but was caught unaware as the second creeper swept an arc parallel to the lake's surface, catching the Legendary's paws. The Water-type stumbled, the first ungraceful act the humans had seen thus far, and Bayleef took the opportunity to wrap the initial vine around her opponent's neck. It tightened with a resounding _crack_.

The sound was enough to snap Suicune back to its situation, for it angled its neck and immediately bit the creeper, fangs emanating an icy blue aura. Frost began to form on the vine, crawling up its length and making the normally flexible and durable Grass-type attack brittle. Suicune thrashed around, breaking Bayleef's hold on it, but before it could escape the second vine snapped around and encircled its midsection. Ash reacted before Suicune could. "Swing it around, Bayleef!"

The Leaf Pokémon grunted its name in exertion, putting all her strength into lifting the other Pokémon. In an impressive feat of fortitude, she heaved the Legendary Pokémon into the air and threw it onto the ground in a makeshift slam, crying her name victoriously. "Alright Bayleef!" cheered Ash. "Now follow it up with Body Slam!" Bayleef galloped forward and rammed herself into the downed Suicune.

Ash half-hoped the battle to be over with that – Bayleef had pulled off impressive knock-outs in the past with similar strategies a number of times – but true to its Legendary status, Suicune craned its head and shot an Aurora Beam at the Leaf Pokémon's back as she ran past it. Bayleef cried out as the Ice-type attack struck home.

Suicune took the opportunity to leap to its feet and fire another Aurora Beam at the Grass-type. Bayleef's body created a furrow in the ground as she was pushed a number of feet by the multicolored attack. When the Leaf Pokémon didn't move, Suicune took up position at Lake Lucid's shallows, merely staring at Ash. The Frontier Brain didn't register the Legendary's gaze, brown eyes focused on the fallen form of his exuberant Johto starter. "Bayleef, are you okay? Can you stand?"

The Leaf Pokémon groaned and twitched, struggling to drag her battered body upright. "Bayleef…" Ash murmured. He slowly reached for the Grass-type's Pokéball, prepared to recall the dinosaur-like creature. _I'm sorry…_

"B-bay…" Ash looked up to see Bayleef on her feet, one eye closed and teeth gritted in pain. He couldn't tell whether it was determination or sheer stubbornness pushing the Grass-type to continue battling, but Bayleef's willpower was undeniably impressive. Then, before he could even decide whether or not to withdraw Bayleef, she let out a cry of her name and was encased in white light. Ash gaped openly.

When the light faded, the almost six-foot, grass green form of Ash's Pokémon could be seen. Two yellow antennae were swept back from where Bayleef's head-leaf had been, and the ring of leaves had fully sprouted into a magnificent pink flower with six petals. "Mega mega!" Meganium exclaimed proudly.

"…Didn't see _that_ coming," Ash commented aloud.

"I guess you just bring out the best in your Pokémon," Misty remarked.

Whatever the reason, Ash didn't have time to analyze it. Suicune chose to attack before either trainer or Pokémon could find their bearings, expelling a violent Hydro Pump at the newly-evolved Meganium. The Herb Pokémon sidestepped the attack. Ash was on the verge of giving his Pokémon a command when a feeling of deep serenity overcame him. Misty also seemed to be affected, asking thickly, "What's…going on?"

"Meganium's…Sweet Scent…" Ash replied, voice just as sluggish. Despite the lethargy caused by the aroma Meganium exuded, Ash felt oddly at peace, without a care in the world. Any issues caused by his quest, by Misty's flirting, by the trials his Pokémon – his friends – were going through seemed to vanish. Beside him, Misty's eyes were closed in relaxation, a tranquil smile playing on her lips. Idly, Ash thought that she looked rather pretty under the influence of Sweet Scent, with all the tension and temper he had gotten used to over the years drained from her system.

Even Suicune seemed to be taken in by Meganium's fragrance, its red eyes half-lidded. Wild Pokémon began surfacing from the lake, drawn in by the enticing aroma. Meganium took advantage of the Legendary's distraction, throwing out two thick vines at the Water-type. Suicune snapped out of its daze at the last second, dodging further into the center of the lake. The blunted tips of Meganium's Vine Whip slapped the water with an echoing _thwock_.

A thick mist began to emanate from Suicune's position, spreading out to cover Lake Lucid's surface. The wild Pokémon began to disappear into the water's depths as Sweet Scent's effect was nullified by Suicune's Mist. Ash also shook off the torpor caused by his Pokémon. As a Bayleef, the Grass-type had learned had to reel in the aroma that emanated from her neck pretty quickly. Apparently she would have to learn to do so again now that the effect had been amplified (and altered somewhat) by her evolution.

An Aurora Beam split the thick vapor, which Meganium was barely able to dodge. Following that was a stream of bubbles, prompting the Grass-type's Vine Whip to pop the spheres. Ash mentally applauded Suicune's strategy of using the mist to conceal its attacks. That didn't mean he had to like it, however. "Let's take care of this mist, Meganium. Sunny Day!"

Meganium's flower shone a bright white, the petals angling to point skyward. Rays of light broke through the mist surrounding the large Grass-type. Almost immediately, the rest of the fog cover began to dissipate, giving way to the bright sunshine of the weather-manipulating move. The Herb Pokémon's pink flower retained its white glow as Suicune's form became visible on the lake. Ash smirked. "SolarBeam!"

The powerful energy attack lanced across the distance between the two Pokémon, its speed multiplied thanks to Sunny Day. Suicune only had time to lower its head, causing the Grass-type attack to strike the crystal there. The Aurora Pokémon slid several feet across the water's surface; it struggled against the assault before finally refracting the beam upward. By the time Suicune disposed of the SolarBeam, a slew of leaves was already closing in on its location; it inhaled and blew.

Instead of a mere gust of wind, ice balls were expelled in a strong zephyr, freezing the leaves and continuing on towards Meganium. The Blizzard attack swept over the Herb Pokémon and the surrounding area. Ash and Misty were forced to duck their heads against the cold, flurries settling on their shoulders and scalp. When Ash looked up, icicles were hanging from Meganium's antennae and flower, the intense rays from Sunny Day dulled and gone. "Meganium?" he tried.

Meganium toppled to the side, stamina spent.

Ash recalled the Grass-type with a mournful air. "Meganium…you did an amazing job. You wanted to win so badly that you evolved. Your work won't be in vain." The Frontier Brain directed his attention to Pikachu. "Let's show Suicune just what we're made of, buddy."

"Pi-ka!"

Suicune seemed to take this affirmation as a signal to begin, for a second Blizzard immediately gusted towards them. "Pikachu, Counter Shield!" Ash shouted, shielding his face with his arms. Streams of electricity danced around the rodent, zapping any snow balls that crossed their paths. When the snowstorm abated, the raven-haired trainer looked up and grinned. "Quick Attack!"

As Pikachu dashed towards the Aurora Pokémon, Ash felt Misty grip his arm in an iron-clad hold. "Ash, are you insane? Suicune's standing in the middle of a _lake_. Pikachu can't run on water."

"No," grinned the Frontier Brain, "but he can run on ice." He gestured to Lake Lucid, and Misty noted that the wide area which Suicune's two Blizzards had swept over was now frozen solid, paving a path directly towards the Water-type Legendary. "Go into Iron Tail," he called.

Pikachu twisted his body, throwing his hardened tail at the mildly surprised Suicune. The Aurora Pokémon lowered its head into the assault, blocking the Steel-type move with its crystal just as it had against Meganium's SolarBeam. There was a resounding _clang_ as tail met crystal, followed by a grinding sound as each Pokémon fought for leverage against the other. Ash decided to take advantage of the stalemate, ordering his friend to use Thunderbolt.

Electricity surged into Suicune's body, stunning it momentarily and forcing the Legendary to drop its guard. Pikachu's Iron Tail overpowered the Water-type's defenses, slamming into Suicune's head and sending the canine-like creature into the water with a splash. As Pikachu landed on the lake's icy surface, Suicune's crystal crested the water, aglow in a plethora of colors. An Extrasensory blasted out at the Mouse Pokémon before he could react, sending him sliding along the ice.

Pikachu recovered and rushed into a Volt Tackle at his trainer's behest before Suicune could properly regain its footing, but a Hydro Pump from the Water-type threw the rodent askew. The Mouse Pokémon bounced back quickly, balancing on all fours atop the ice with sparks shooting from his cheeks. Suicune – back to its position atop Lake Lucid's surface – merely stared the creature down. There was a stand-off as both Pokémon waited for the other to make a move, Ash giving no commands so as to not throw his oldest Pokémon headlong in an attack.

Finally, Suicune lifted his head and bayed at the sky, one long, soulful note. Dark clouds gathered over Lake Lucid, and water poured down from the sky seconds later. "Rain Dance," Ash murmured, recalling how Zapdos had done the same thing at the Power Plant. Suicune was using the weather-oriented move to increase the power of its Water-type attacks, but Zapdos had used it to increase the accuracy of its Thunder…

Ash grinned. _Oh, that'll do nicely._ "Pikachu, shoot a Thunderbolt into the sky!" The Electric-type obeyed with an enthusiastic 'Pi!' Electricity twined about the clouds, deepening the sky even further with their blackness.

Suicune unleashed another Hydro Pump, this one faster and twice the size of its previous one. Pikachu took the attack with a cry, his trainer shouting encouraging words to him all the while. When the deluge ended, Pikachu remained standing, thoroughly drenched and panting. "Thunder!" Ash commanded. The Mouse Pokémon called down a brilliant yellow-white ray of lightning, engulfing the area where Suicune stood.

Simultaneously, another bolt – this one pure gold in color – jetted through the sky and struck Lake Lucid's bank 100 yards from Ash and Misty's position. Ash was too caught up in the result of his battle to pay attention, but Misty turned to make sure the lightning strike hadn't started a fire. The sight before her caused her to gasp and shake her companion's arm. "Ash," she began, "you might want to see this."

"Hold on, Mist, the battle's not over yet." The Frontier Brain's eyes remained riveted to the spot where Pikachu's Thunder had fallen, watching as the electricity and illumination from the attack faded away. Suicune could be seen standing in the same spot, sparks crackling along its form. It took two slow, measured steps forward onto the ice, offered a short bow of its head to Ash, and then collapsed on its side.

Ash threw a Pokéball at the downed Legendary Beast, absorbing it in a flash of light. When the sphere stopped shaking moments later, Ash wiped a hand across his brow, a triumphant grin dancing on his lips, and Pikachu plopped down on his rear, a tired 'Chaaa' wafting from his mouth. "We did it, buddy!" proclaimed Ash, rushing towards the rodent as the rain stopped falling and the skies cleared. Pikachu moved to meet him halfway, jumping into his arms when the trainer was close enough.

Misty watched the interaction with a small smile. It was always good to see how much Ash cared for his Pokémon – his friends, his family – and she could easily see why the Legendaries had chosen him to be their caretaker. The thought reminded her of what she had seen. "Ash!" she called. "You need to see this!"

"Hm?" He turned to face her. "What's…" The question died on his tongue as his periphery caught the spot where the second lightning bolt had struck.

Standing over a slightly burnt patch of grass was the regal form of Raikou. Sleek golden-yellow fur with angular, black V-shaped markings and a white underbelly decorated its body. Similar to Suicune, a purple mane also adorned Raikou – though the Electric-type's looked more like clouds than its fellow Legendary Beast's – flowing from the base of its skull to its jagged, sky-blue tail, the appendage ending in a starburst pattern. Raikou looked distinctly more feline than its Water-type counterpart, with two saber-tooth tiger-like fangs protruding from under a light blue 'X' mustache, above which was set a skullcap black crest that enveloped its ears.

The moment Ash's brown eyes connected with Raikou's red ones, the Electric-type Legendary Beast turned tail and bolted in the direction of Ecruteak City. "Not again!" groaned Ash. With surprising speed, he unclipped two Pokéballs and opened them, already running towards where Charizard was spreading his wings. "Pidgeot, grab the Pokéball," he directed as Misty climbed on Charizard's back. The Bird Pokémon screeched her understanding and shot off to where Suicune's Pokéball lay on the ice. Ash handed Pikachu to Misty and clambered aboard the fiery dragon. Raikou was almost completely out of sight. "Charizard, let's go!" and the Fire/Flying hybrid took off with a roar.

All the while, another figure watched the ensuing chase from afar, a pair of binoculars practically glued to his eyes.

-l-l-l-

Like Suicune, Raikou also seemed to have a set destination in mind for its battle with Ash. The Thunder Pokémon led the Frontier Brain on a journey through the wooded area behind Ecruteak City into the craggy peaks of Mt. Mortar. Ash signaled Charizard to descend into the mountainous region when Raikou bounded to a halt not far outside Ecruteak's city limits, only a 15-minute flight from the border house connecting the so-called Historical City to Route 42. Even then, their location was tucked far enough into the hills that any signs of the ensuing battle from Route 42 would be hidden by Mt. Mortar's peaks.

Ash and Misty dismounted Charizard – Pikachu held tightly in the latter's arms – before the raven-haired trainer recalled the fiery dragon. Never taking his eyes off of Raikou's stationary form, Ash ran his fingers over the Pokéballs lining his belt, taking stock of his partners as he did so. _Heracross, Meganium, Charizard, Pidgeot…all need rest._ He skimmed over the next three – Noctowl was going to be next-to-useless against this opponent, Gliscor was (unfortunately) unconscious, and Croconaw was also at a severe disadvantage – but paused on the next two. They were the only two options he had left – the last five spheres contained the recently acquired Lugia and Suicune (Pidgeot had caught up shortly after taking off after Raikou), as well as the trio of Legendary Birds – though both were good bets.

Given the terrain…_ Yeah. You'll do just fine,_ he thought with a growing smirk. "Alright Raikou, let's do this," he challenged, grabbing and enlarging Donphan's Pokéball. Just before he threw it, a loud roar sounded out, freezing him in place. From the shadow of one of the mountain bases stepped a large form.

Unlike the other Legendary Beasts, Entei was large and bulky, covered in coarse brown fur with an extra layer covering its neck and a tuft of cream hair on its chest. Black bands, almost like shackles, were cuffed around the Volcano Pokémon's legs, and a grey, smoky-looking mane trailed along its back past its hindquarters. Two stiff grey plates – mimicking stubby, useless wings – sprouted from each side of its back, a third one jutting out from under the cream fur. A stiff white handlebar mustache hung from Entei's lip, accented by red, triple-pointed markings on either side and finished with a golden one on top; all three crested markings surrounded the Legendary's red eyes. Ash blinked at the sight of the Fire-type Legendary Beast. "Uh…okay…" Brown eyes darted between Raikou and Entei. "I wonder…a double battle then?" Both creatures nodded at him. Ash reached back to his belt and grabbed the other Pokéball he had been considering. "I can do that. Donphan, Quilava! Let's go!"

Both Pokémon burst forth from their containers, Donphan with a trumpeting bellow of his name and Quilava with a squealing yawn of hers. The latter immediately ignited the flames on her head and rear. Ash grinned at his friends' enthusiasm. Both Donphan and Quilava were fresh for battling, plus Donphan held the type advantage over both Legendaries, and Quilava wasn't particularly weak to anything either of them could throw out. _This'll be an interesting battle._ "Donphan, Earthquake. Quilava, take to the sky with Aerial Ace."

Donphan reared back and slammed his forelegs against the ground as Quilava went airborne amidst arrowheads of white light. Tremors shook the earth, temporarily destabilizing Ash and Misty and throwing them against each other. The Frontier Brain regained his balance and helped to steady the red-head, watching to see Earthquake's effect on the two Legendary Beasts. Both had their eyes closed against the shifting, but then opened them and leapt away even as the Ground-type attack began to dissipate. Entei was tackled mid-jump by Quilava; it landed neatly on the side of one of the nearby spires and spat out a white-hot Flamethrower at the smaller Volcano Pokémon.

"Flamethrower right back!" Ash shouted. Quilava unleashed her own stream of fire at Entei; the two attacks met in the middle, merged, and combusted into a giant explosion that sent Quilava tumbling. Entei, its footing stable against the mountainside, merely stood still as the hot air washed over it, brown fur ruffled by the breeze. Ash didn't get a chance to see if his Fire-type was okay as Raikou was bearing down on Donphan, fangs extended for a Thunder Fang. "Donphan, Defense Curl!"

The Armor Pokémon tucked himself into a tight ball at his trainer's behest. Raikou bit into the tough skin of the Ground-type's plated spine, discharging the electricity gathered in its maw. The assault fizzled harmlessly against the elephantine Pokémon's skin, Donphan's resistivity to Electric-type attacks proving to be a boon. "Now, Take Down!" Ash commanded quickly.

Donphan unfurled from his Defense Curl and threw himself recklessly into the Thunder Pokémon, sending Raikou skidding back a number of yards. Electricity built up in the purple clouds on Raikou's back and then shot out in a multiple bolts at the Ground-type in a strong Discharge. Golden-yellow lightning crackled around Donphan for a moment before he stomped the ground and dispersed the attack.

Meanwhile, Quilava and Entei were engaged in a fierce battle of Fire-type attacks. Flamethrowers cancelled each other out, Fire Fangs versus Flame Wheels sent both Volcano Pokémon recoiling in opposite directions, and Entei's Lava Plume was matched by Quilava's Eruption. The only disadvantage Ash could see was that Entei was stronger than Quilava, and thus his Pokémon was tiring much quicker than the Legendary Beast was.

The Frontier Brain had Quilava dodge the next burst of fire Entei spewed. "Quilava, move back towards Donphan." As the smaller Volcano Pokémon did as she was told, Entei released a bark that reminded Ash of a volcano erupting. Raikou looked at its bulkier counterpart and nodded, electricity again building in the purple clouds along its back. "Donphan, Defense Curl! Quilava, get behind Donphan!" The protection strategy he was utilizing wasn't anything new – he had, in fact, used it quite successfully with Corphish and Treecko back when the Grass-type had started learning Bullet Seed – but it was the first time trying it with this particular pairing.

Entei expelled another Flamethrower at the Armor Pokémon. Donphan grunted at the impact, and Quilava was forced to push against her companion and increase the jet of the flames protruding from her hindquarters to prevent the pair from sliding backwards. Just as the Fire-type attack lost power, Raikou came up and rammed its head against Donphan's skull, the Thunder Pokémon's top possessing the telltale metallic silver sheen of Iron Head. The elephantine Pokémon absorbed the attack as best as he could, but the sheer force after suffering through the Flamethrower caused him to release the Defense Curl by a smidge.

It was all the opening Raikou needed, as a violent Spark attack was released into the Armor Pokémon's body.

"Get Raikou away from Donphan, Quilava!" Ash shouted. "Flame Wheel!" Fire erupted around the Volcano Pokémon, and she slammed her slim body into the Electric-type Legendary in a hasty bid to do as her trainer asked. As Raikou was sent soaring, a surge of flames struck Quilava from the side, pushing the rodent-like creature into a nearby mountain. "Quilava!" cried the Frontier Brain. His attention was sidetracked as Donphan trumpeted loudly, apparently recovered from the dual-assault. "Donphan, Rollout on Entei!"

"Don-phaaan!" The Armor Pokémon tucked himself into a tight ball and began to roll towards Entei. The larger Pokémon stood its ground, releasing a loud roar that reverberated in the peaks of Mt. Mortar. A massive column of lava burst from the ground where Donphan was rolling, sending the Ground-type high into the air with a bellow. Thunderclouds began to gather overhead, and as the Eruption gave way, a clap of thunder was heard. Lightning descended onto Donphan's airborne form as Raikou's Thunder hit home, the elephantine creature trumpeting in pain.

Donphan's body hit the ground with an unpleasant _thump_, causing both Ash and Misty to wince. The Frontier Brain didn't even need to check to know that the pachyderm was out cold. He withdrew the Ground-type mournfully, staring at the Pokéball for a long moment. "Donphan…you did great. You deserve a long rest." Raikou and Entei padded over to stand across from Ash, staring at him with intent red eyes. Quilava – flames extinguished – made her way over to her trainer, standing protectively in front of him. "Quilava…" he murmured. "You can still fight?"

"Quil!" assured the small Pokémon, igniting the flames on her body.

"Hm," Ash grunted, a small smile working its way onto his lips. This was just another example the willpower his Pokémon possessed. Brown eyes flickered up to meet the intense gazes of Entei and Raikou. "You guys are clever," he allowed, "and I see now where I went wrong.

"You split up my Pokémon to weaken them individually, all the while waiting for a moment to pull off an effective tag team tactic. It worked rather well, all things considered," he added, staring at Donphan's Pokéball. He minimized the capsule and clipped it to his belt, reaching for the only other viable choice he had. "I've been using the terrain and type advantage to determine who I send out in this challenge so far –"

"Kingler against Zapdos," Misty coughed.

"—but that wasn't the right move here. Double battles require Pokémon who can work well together, who know each other inside and out. Who complement one another. Donphan's strong, but he was only with me for part of my Johto travels. But these two…well, they've been around each other for a very long time." He enlarged the Lure Ball in his hand. "Croconaw, let's go!"

The blue Big Jaw Pokémon emerged from the sphere and hopped twice on each foot, a trait he had retained from his days as a Totodile. He spied Quilava and gave the Fire-type a cheerful salute.

Ash fought to withhold the confident grin that was threatening to burst out over his face. Croconaw and Quilava had a long history of being around one another, even after Ash's travels had concluded in Johto. The Water-type had been around when Cyndaquil had evolved before the Sinnoh League, and in turn had evolved months later in a practice battle with the Volcano Pokémon. Even with the Big Jaw Pokémon's weakness to Raikou, as long as he could hold off Entei, Quilava could focus her efforts on the Electric-type Legendary Beast. In a tag battle, few combinations would be as effective as these two out of his current arsenal. "Croconaw, hit Entei with a Water Gun. Quilava, use Swift on Raikou."

Both Pokémon eagerly complied, firing a stream of water and a spread of stars at their respective targets. Entei retaliated with its Flamethrower as Raikou dispersed the Swift attack with its Discharge. Steam erupted from the collision of the water and fire, thick enough to hide Raikou's lithe form. "Quilava, get outta there with Dig," Ash commanded. The Volcano Pokémon offered a squeak of understanding before tunneling underground.

When the vapor cleared, neither Croconaw nor Quilava could be seen. The two Legendary Beasts looked around warily, fully expecting to be attacked. After half a minute had passed, Ash shouted, "Come up now!" Quilava broke through the earth underneath Raikou, but the feline-like Pokémon bounded aside.

Entei was not so lucky. At Ash's rapid instruction to use Hydro Pump, a violent geyser of water exploded from below Entei, sending the bulky creature into the air. Croconaw popped up from the newly-made hole in the ground with a triumphant croak of his name. Quilava sent a burst of embers at Raikou to distract it from attacking her companion, allowing Croconaw to pull himself free from the earth. Both Johto starters retreated to stand before their trainer.

Entei landed on all fours and moved to stand parallel to Raikou, allowing its body heat to evaporate any residual liquid clinging to its fur. The Volcano Pokémon shot a swirling vortex of flames at its opponents. "Block it with Aqua Tail, Croconaw!" ordered Ash. A corkscrew of water formed around the Big Jaw Pokémon's tail, and he swung it into the oncoming Fire Spin. The conflagration was nullified against Croconaw's liquid defense, which swirled into a cylinder of water parodying Ash's Counter Shield strategy.

Unfortunately for Ash, Raikou decided to take advantage of water's conductivity, unleashing a Discharge at the barrier. Electricity crackled along its surface before surging into the bodies of the two Johto starters. Ash gritted his teeth at the assault, wracking his brain for a quick solution. _Gotta stop Raikou…_ "Croconaw, you gotta just bare it for a little longer. Quilava, hit Raikou with Rollout!"

The rodent curled herself into a ball, hurling herself through the liquid vortex and towards the Thunder Pokémon. Entei roared, causing the ground beneath the smaller Volcano Pokémon to tremble in warning of an Eruption. Ash – knowing that Quilava absolutely could _not _get hit with that – cried out for his Pokémon to use Eruption as well.

The flames along Quilava's hindquarters ignited forcefully, propelling the Fire-type past the exploding pyre of Entei's Eruption. Raikou was taken by surprise as Quilava barreled into it with increased velocity, stopping its assault on Croconaw. The alligator-like Pokémon allowed the vortex to collapse before expelling a hasty Water Gun at Entei, who shot back with a Fire Blast. Croconaw slammed an Aqua Tail against the ground to create a temporary vertical plane of water, but Entei's attack proved to be stronger and pushed through the defensive maneuver. The Big Jaw Pokémon let out a cry as he was sent flying, landing belly-first some distance away. "Croconaw!" Ash shouted in concern, only for Quilava's shrill call to draw his attention away from the downed Water-type.

Raikou had the small Fire-type in its mouth, electricity crackling along its fangs. The Thunder Pokémon tossed Quilava in a surprisingly far arc, causing her to land near Croconaw. Then, it released another Discharge as Entei exhaled a Flamethrower. The two attacks combined and washed over the downed Johto starters, pushing them along the rough terrain with their power.

"Croconaw…Quilava…" Ash turned his attention to the two Legendary Beasts, both of whom stood close together and silent. "That was unnecessary!" he shouted at them, ire provoked. When neither Legendary reacted, the Frontier Brain was forced to wonder if his reaction to this situation was another part of their test. "I can't keep fighting now," he admitted aloud. That wasn't an entirely true statement – he did, after all, still have Charizard, Pikachu, Heracross, Pidgeot, and Noctowl, though the status of all but the last were not in peak form – but he wanted to take Quilava and Croconaw to the Ecruteak City Pokémon Center and get them healed as soon as possible. Entei and Raikou seemed to take his decision in stride, turning in preparation to retreat further into Mortar's mountainous range.

"Quil…"

"Croc…"

As one, the Legendary Beasts, Ash, and Misty pivoted to spy Quilava and Croconaw – bruised, beaten, and clearly exhausted – struggling to stand. "You guys…" Ash murmured, "how are you…"

And then both starters were enshrouded in the same white glow Bayleef had been overcome by only a short time previously.

"Big day for you," Misty commented to a slack-jawed Ash as the sheen of evolution faded away.

"Tell me about it…"

Standing on her hind legs in Quilava's place was the five-and-a-half foot form of Typhlosion. The Volcano Pokémon possessed much more muscle than the lithe Quilava, the growth in her arms and legs a testament to her newfound strength. A collar of fire was ablaze about her neck, and a deep blue tuft of fur poked out from her rear in pale imitation of a tail. The heat she was exuding could be felt clearly by the two humans.

Hulking beside her was the even taller, bulkier form of Feraligatr. Tough, leathery blue skin decorated the crocodilian creature – barring the underside of his jaw and a V-shaped patch of skin on his belly, which were cream-colored – with armor-like protrusions along his knees, arms, and tail. Triple-spiked red plates decorated his spinal column: one atop his head, one on his tail, and a third on the hump of his back. The Big Jaw Pokémon's sharp claws were only surpassed by the even sharper teeth poking out from his trademark maw.

In the olden days, when Ash had been a rookie trainer, he probably would have taken out his Pokédex and had Dexter give him information about these new creatures. Now, he was more impressed by the fact that both of his friends – after being pummeled by two Legendary Pokémon – had evolved for his sake. _Willpower indeed._

Auras blazed up around the two fully-evolved Johto starters: red for Typhlosion, blue for Feraligatr. _Blaze and Torrent. Even though they evolved, they're still clearly exhausted. I guess I shouldn't drag this out._ "Typhlosion, Flame Wheel on Raikou! Feraligatr, Hydro Pump on Entei!"

Feraligatr emitted a scratchy growl before opening his massive maw and unleashing the powerful Water-type attack. Entei bounded aside to avoid the stream, and the torrent punched a hole through the rock that the Volcano Pokémon had been standing in front of. The Big Jaw Pokémon followed the Legendary Beast with his attack, scattering debris and rocks everywhere, but not quite landing a hit.

Raikou was not so fortunate. Typhlosion was upon it with a roar that contrasted heavily with the shy, sleepy Cyndaquil Ash had captured years ago. The Volcano Pokémon rammed herself into the Thunder Pokémon's flank with startling alacrity, the momentum sending Raikou into a nearby mountain with a painful _slam_. With a second roar, small explosions of fire ruptured around Raikou, coupled by billowing smoke and the collapse of the crag the Pokémon had impacted. When the rumbling of the makeshift avalanche stopped, the Electric-type Legendary Beast could be seen trapped underneath a pile of rubble, eyes closed in blissful unconsciousness.

Typhlosion released one more roar – this one rather triumphant – before the aura of Blaze and the collar of fire around her neck faded away, and she slumped to the ground, energy spent.

Ash found he didn't have time to do anything about Typhlosion or Raikou as a Fire Blast was bearing down on Feraligatr. "Aqua Tail!" he yelled. Powered by Torrent, a cone of water formed around the reptilian Pokémon's tail. He swung it at the oncoming Fire-type attack, breaking it into individual cinders. "Superpower!" Feraligatr grabbed a nearby boulder and heaved it at Entei; the Volcano Pokémon sidestepped the projectile and shot a Flamethrower at its opponent.

"Feraligatr, try and use Aqua Tail on your whole body!" The Big Jaw Pokémon complied, conjuring up a film of liquid to cover his whole body in a parody of Aqua Jet. "Headbutt!" Using his sturdy legs, Feraligatr propelled himself forward, allowing the Flamethrower to vaporize harmlessly against his shield. Without even flinching, the crocodilian creature barreled into Entei with the force of a truck. Ash took advantage of his Pokémon's proximity to the Legendary Beast and immediately called for the newly-evolved Pokémon to use Crunch.

Feraligatr's trademark jaws snapped shut over the smoke-like mane on Entei's back. With a twist of his neck, the reptilian Pokémon sent his adversary into a nearby precipice. Entei managed to right itself before impacting the rock, but a torrential Hydro Pump propelled it into the craggy spire. In short order, the Volcano Pokémon was buried beneath the debris of the precipice, mirroring its fellow Legendary Beast.

The tension in Feraligatr's shoulders faded, as did the aura of his Torrent ability, and then the Water-type hit the ground, stamina gone.

Silence pervaded the area, neither Ash nor Misty entirely sure how to react to the results of the intense battle. Finally, the Frontier Brain moved towards where Feraligatr and Entei had been battling and knelt next to the reptilian creature. "You were amazing, Feraligatr. I…there really aren't any words to describe how proud I am to be your trainer. Take a long, well-deserved rest." He withdrew the Big Jaw Pokémon before moving over to Entei and simply dropping an empty Pokéball on the Legendary's prone form. That done, he walked over to Typhlosion and placed a comforting hand upon the Fire-type's soft head, offering her the same sincere gratitude he had the other Johto starter. The Volcano Pokémon vanished inside her Pokéball; Raikou was quick to follow.

Ash wiped a hand across his forehead and heaved a sigh of relief. "Good thing _that's_ all done with –"

"HEY YOU! What did you do with Suicune?"

"What the…?" The Frontier Brain glanced around for the source of the yelling. His eyes met Misty's searching ones, and as one, both trainers turned their gazes skyward.

Descending onto the scene was a man dressed in a purple suit and a white cape. His brown hair looked perfectly coifed, though his entire kempt look was marred by the anger radiating off his form. When his feet hit the ground, he recalled the Jumpluff he had been holding onto and marched right up to Ash. "You! I demand to know exactly what you did with Suicune right now! And Entei and Raikou!" he added as an afterthought.

"…You look kinda familiar," Ash opted to say instead, cupping his chin with one hand. As Misty made her way over to the pair, he continued, "Have we met before?"

The purple-clad man seemed to take offense to this statement. "I am Eusine," he stated, hand held to his chest to indicate _just_ how important he was, "and I am the authority on Suicune –"

Ash snapped his fingers. "You're Morty's friend," he realized, "the guy whose goal was to capture Suicune."

"Hmph!" Eusine scowled, his visage the very essence of an affronted individual. "As I was saying, I have studied Suicune for _years_, and when I finally ran into it, imagine my consternation to find _you_ battling it. Suicune has only ever stopped to fight me _once_, so I ask again, _what did you do to Suicune?_"

"Suicune challenged me to a battle," Ash answered cautiously, "and I caught it. The same with Raikou and Entei –"

"I demand to fight Suicune myself!" proclaimed Eusine.

Ash considered the man for a moment. After a pause, he responded, "That's not my decision, it's Suicune's. And right now, I need to go to the Pokémon Center. You're welcome to follow…I guess…"

Eusine didn't reply immediately, staring intently at the Frontier Brain as if searching for something. "Fine," he granted. "I shall meet you at Ecruteak's Pokémon Center soon enough." He released Jumpluff and grabbed the Cottonweed Pokémon's foot before it took off. "You're my rival now –"

"Ash. Ash Ketchum," he provided.

"Ash Ketchum. Soon we shall see who is _truly_ worthy enough to be Suicune's trainer!"

Ash and Misty watched him fly away. "Just what I need," Ash grumbled, "another rival."

"How many is that now?" Misty asked.

"I've lost track." He called out Charizard, who looked irritated at being released again with no battle forthcoming. "Sorry buddy. Last time today, I promise. Maybe tomorrow I can get you that battle you want." Charizard snorted at that, but allowed both trainers (and Pikachu, still in Misty's arms) to climb on his back. Ash instructed him to head to Ecruteak City, and the fiery dragon took off with a flap of his wings.

They landed 20 minutes later and Ash practically ran into the Pokémon Center, leaving Misty to follow him at her own pace. Charizard lumbered after both of them, mindful of the building's glass doors. The Frontier Brain spoke hurriedly to the Nurse Joy in charge, dumping all but Noctowl's and the Legendary Birds' Pokéballs onto the tray the pink-haired woman provided; Charizard was recalled almost absently and placed with the rest of his companions, as was Pikachu.

Just seeing the quantity of capsules on the countertop cemented home just how much had happened over the course of the day. All of his friends had been put through the wringer, and although all of them had known the risks associated with taking on the challenge of the Legendaries, none of that justified how injured they had gotten.

The events of the day caught up with him, and suddenly all Ash wanted to do was sleep. He asked Nurse Joy for a room – not even bothering with getting a separate room for Misty – and retired to it, collapsing upon the bed with a soft _whuff _of ruffled sheets.

He was asleep in a matter of minutes.

-l-l-l-

The next morning found Ash and Misty standing in front of the Ecruteak Gym, the former prepared for whatever challenge lay ahead. Some of his Pokémon weren't exactly at full power – Feraligatr, Typhlosion, and Meganium had only partially recovered – but he was hoping to be out of the city before nightfall, and didn't want to leave anyone behind. Eusine had left them a message the night before saying that he had gotten the go-ahead from Morty to use the Pokémon Gym for their battle. That suited Ash just fine, as he wanted to speak to the Ghost-type Gym Leader anyway.

They walked through the rustic doors of the gym, admiring the vintage decorations. Like the rest of Ecruteak, the Pokémon Gym was fashioned to reflect the simple and historical aspects the city was renowned for. The floors were made of polished wood, and antique chandeliers hung from the roof's rafters, providing a dim ambience to the bare interior. It was homey, if a bit outdated and rustic for Ash's tastes.

Morty walked up to his visitors, the ghost of a pleasant smile on his lips. "Misty," he greeted, shaking her hand. "Ash," he continued, moving on to the other male, "it's good to see you again."

"Hello Morty," Ash returned, grabbing the proffered hand. "It's been awhile. I remember when your attire was less…theatrical."

Morty gave a short chuckle at that. Where he once wore a simple blue and yellow shirt and jeans, he was now garbed in a thick black, long-sleeved shirt with wide purple cuffs – two on each sleeve – and white cargo pants. A purple scarf – designed with jagged ends colored a deep scarlet – was wrapped around his neck, a golden relic clipped to the front. His unruly blonde hair was held back by a purple headband, replacing the blue one he had worn in years prior. He now looked far more the part of a Ghost-type trainer than he had when Ash had won the Fog Badge in his youth. "I suppose I have embraced a sort of dramatic flair since our last face-to-face meeting. Emails and telephone calls only reveal so much about how a person has changed."

"This reunion is wonderful," interjected Eusine, stepping forward to make his presence known, "but it can wait. Fight me _now_," he challenged Ash. Morty sighed at his friend's zeal, but made no move to interrupt the proceedings.

Ash was slightly taken aback by how snappish and irate Eusine was acting, but he merely shrugged it off. "Fine. Morty, would you be willing to referee?"

"It would be my pleasure. Come Misty, perhaps you'd like to have a seat on a bench." The blonde gestured behind him to a short row of benches, used for when his students were to learn a practical lesson. Misty took him up on the offer, taking Pikachu and going to sit behind the referee's box. Morty waited until both Eusine and Ash were settled on opposing sides of the gym before announcing, "This will be a one-on-one match. The winner will be declared when –"

"Alakazam, go!" snapped Eusine. Morty released another sigh at the man's impatience, but again made no comment. He turned his attention to Ash, waiting for the man to release his own Pokémon. Eusine hadn't specified the details of his reasoning behind the battle, merely inquired as to the availability of using the gym as the stage. The Ecruteak Gym Leader was curious to see what had his friend so riled up.

Ash stared at the enlarged Pokéball in his hand. He was unconvinced that this was the proper course of action – let alone a necessary one – but the sphere was shaking back and forth of its own accord. _It's as if Suicune _wants_ to fight…_ Before he could even make a decision, the ball burst open of its own volition, the white flash of light solidifying into Suicune's regal form. Off to the side, Morty inhaled sharply in surprise. The Aurora Pokémon leveled its trainer with a steady gaze, as if trying to communicate that everything was going to be okay.

There was a strained silence as Eusine seemed to bask in Suicune's presence before his awestruck demeanor quickly disappeared. "I don't know how you did it, but I will prove you an unworthy trainer to Suicune," he snapped. "Alakazam, Psybeam!"

"Ka-zam!" The Psychic-type crossed his spoons together, blasting a multicolored beam of energy at Suicune. The Aurora Pokémon countered with an Aurora Beam; the ensuing collision sent smoke billowing in all directions, and all the humans threw up their hands to protect their eyes. Alakazam and Suicune burst forth from the haze, the Legendary Pokémon expelling a BubbleBeam at its adversary. The Psi Pokémon disappeared, materializing behind Suicune in a well-placed Teleport.

"Psybeam again!" shouted Eusine, and this time the Water-type wasn't fast enough to counter or dodge. It took the Psychic-type attack to the side, but then craned its head and fired another Aurora Beam at the humanoid creature. "Teleport!" Eusine ordered, and Alakazam teleported himself to stand in front of his trainer, allowing Suicune to regain its footing. "Why aren't you giving Suicune any commands?" barked Eusine.

Ash shrugged. "This is Suicune's battle, not mine. Suicune wants to settle this on its own, and I'm going to let it." The Frontier Brain's eyes narrowed. "For all your flaunting, perhaps it's _you_ who isn't deserving of being Suicune's trainer."

"How DARE you!" raged the purple-clad man. "I'll show you! Alakazam, Psychic!"

"Alakazam!" The Psi Pokémon crossed his spoons again, his entire body becoming encased in a blue aura. The same psychic power rose up over Suicune's form, lifting the Legendary Pokémon into the air. Suicune's eyes glowed, and a thick mist exuded from its body. Startled by the lack of visibility, Alakazam dropped his Psychic, allowing the Water-type to land nimbly on its feet. In short order, a Hydro Pump broke through the water vapor, and Eusine commanded a hasty Light Screen. The deluge hit the psychic barrier and sprayed out in all directions.

Alakazam's intelligent eyes widened in surprise as Suicune's form suddenly became visible in the mist, the Water-type advancing on his position, Hydro Pump still going strong. When the Aurora Pokémon was within a foot of its adversary, its head crystal broke through the Light Screen and its mouth closed around Alakazam's crossed hands in an Ice Fang. Ice crawled up the Psi Pokémon's appendages and froze his spoons together in a chunk of glistening crystal. Suicune followed that up with a close-range Hydro Pump into Alakazam's abdomen which blasted the Psychic-type backwards. With his spoons frozen – and thus a great deal of his psychic prowess limited – the humanoid creature was unable to defend himself from the attack, nor from the Blizzard that succeeded it.

Alakazam slumped against the gym's wall behind his trainer, knocked out. "Alakazam is unable to battle," announced Morty. "The winners are Ash and Suicune. An impressive match," he murmured to himself.

"Eusine," Ash said. The brunette looked up from recalling Alakazam, a mixture of anger and frustration clear on his face. "Despite all your expertise and knowledge with regard to Suicune, you treat it more like a trophy to be won rather than a Pokémon to befriend. Suicune _chose_ to battle me, _chose _to accept me as its trainer, not the other way around." He cast the Aurora Pokémon a curious look; Suicune inclined its head in a slight bow, a motion that Ash was beginning to become used to. "Maybe you should think hard about that before you continue your quest."

Eusine said nothing.

"Ash," voiced Morty, approaching Suicune cautiously, as if it would vanish at any moment, "I don't understand." He reached a tentative hand out to the Legendary Beast, placing it gently upon its crystal when it showed no inclination of moving away. "How did you…?"

"Eh, it's a bit of a long story," Ash deflected, shooting Misty a sideways glance. "I'll tell you later. In the meantime," he said, tone becoming more business-like, "I have a favor to ask of you."

Morty looked up from his position by Suicune's side. "Hm?"

Ash stepped forward, brown eyes meeting Morty's brown ones. "I need you to tell me everything you know about Ho-oh."

-l-l-l-

**Author's Note: **Ah…well…hello?

Yes, I'm still alive, as is this story. I could give a number of reasons as to why it's been so long, but the gist boils down to the fact that I'm busy a lot AND this story is actually very difficult to write. It requires a lot of research and forethought, and my home internet connection seems to not like Bulbapedia. As a result, the time is takes to put this out takes awhile.

I make no promises as to the next update date, but it should take less time than this chapter. Hopefully this one turned out okay. Feel free to leave a review and let me know if I've lost my touch or not.

Thanks to all the loyal fans who waited for this chapter. You guys rock.


	11. The Bird and the 'Bi

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Pokémon._

-l-l-l-

**Day 22 – May 29****th**

_Hundreds of years ago, the relationship between humans and Pokémon was not as peaceable as it would one day become. Most Pokémon were wild creatures who roamed the expansive regions of the world thousands of years before humans appeared. Mankind's intrusion into the habitats of Pokémon promoted conflict between the species, though some humans attempted to befriend and domesticate some of the more amiable types of Pokémon. The building of civilizations further aggravated the tensions between humans and Pokémon as cities grew in places where Pokémon once resided._

_In an effort to placate the unease of the wild Pokémon, mankind began to try to make amends. The men of Johto's Ecruteak City erected two tall towers to honor the Legendary Pokémon of the region._

_The Brass Tower, built in the west of the city, was meant to awaken Pokémon. It became the home of Lugia, the Guardian of the Seas, whose duty was to watch over the Pokémon of the water. Lugia came to the Brass Tower when mankind's strife forced it to break apart its former home of the Whirl Island into four separate pieces. It longed for the day when humans would find peace, and eventually end their conflict with both each other and Pokémon._

_On the east side of Ecruteak was constructed the Bell Tower, built to honor the resting place of Pokémon. In its eves, the Legendary Pokémon Ho-oh made roost, where it watched over the Pokémon of the skies. From there, it too awaited the time when humans and Pokémon could live in peace together, when one species could read the hearts of the other._

_Both towers were protected by a combination of people and Pokémon who fully embraced the ideals Lugia and Ho-oh believed in. For well over 500 years, the two Legendary Pokémon remained on lookout at the top of their respective towers, searching for harmony between the species. Yet, despite the passing of certain events (including Azalea Town's reverence of the Slowpoke after they saved the town from a drought) and an increase in the camaraderie between humans and Pokémon, Lugia and Ho-oh never saw what they sought._

_Then, tragedy occurred when a violent storm swept through Johto. A lightning bolt struck the Brass Tower and set it ablaze. The fire burned for three days before a sudden downpour extinguished it, but the damage had already been done. Three nameless Pokémon died in the conflagration and succeeding collapse of the building._

_Ho-oh, overseer of the tower for Pokémon resting places, descended upon their ashes and resurrected them. They became Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, representative of the lightning which struck the tower, the fire which burned it to the ground, and the rain which doused the blaze. The three Legendary Beasts ran into the vast Johto wilderness, tasked with watching over the Pokémon of the earth and, like their contemporaries, waited for the day when humankind and Pokémon could fully understand one another._

_Lugia and Ho-oh both left their perches in Ecruteak City, never to return to their roosts, although rumors of the Guardian of the Seas became widespread throughout the years._

"Since then, a few people have reported sightings of Lugia, Suicune, Raikou, and Entei, though no concrete evidence has ever truly surfaced," Morty continued. "Some people have spent their lives searching for the existence of these Legendary Pokémon –" here he shot a pointed look at Eusine – "while others have hoped to become worthy enough to simply witness their greatness." He inclined his head slightly, indicating that he was guilty of such an act. Then he peered curiously at Ash. "Strangely enough, I had never believed I would be lucky enough to see Suicune until you came to Ecruteak City all those years ago. And now here you are again…with all three Legendary Beasts in hand."

Ash chuckled and glanced at Suicune. "What can I say? I must just have some sort of appeal."

Morty hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe…but I am not one to believe in coincidence. You claim you saw Ho-oh when you first set out on your journey, correct?"

"Yeah."

"And now you've caught Raikou, Entei…Suicune," he added with a look for the Aurora Pokémon. The Ghost-type Gym Leader turned his attention back to Ash. "It's possible you're the one they've been waiting for…the one who's said to be able to touch the hearts and souls of Pokémon. The one to bridge the gap between our species."

A bright grin lit Ash's features. "_Really?_" he drawled slyly. "I must be real spec – mmf!"

Misty's hand clapped suddenly over his mouth with more force than strictly necessary. "We appreciate the info Morty, but if you could give it without increasing Ash's already huge ego even more, I'd be even more grateful."

The Gym Leader offered her a small, somewhat placating, smile. "My apologies. I allowed my enthusiasm to get the better of me. I have strived to see Ho-oh my entire life, to be the person it has been looking for, and while it is disappointing to know that I am not the one it seeks, finding that person in my lifetime is still an amazing achievement." He fell silent, as if considering something, before nodding to himself. "Come with me."

"Where are we going?" Ash asked, recalling Suicune in a beam of light.

"We're going to see if you truly are worthy," Morty replied. He opened the door to the gym and gestured for Misty and Ash to exit. "Eusine, you're welcome to come if you'd like."

"Hmph, might as well see this through."

Morty held the door open for his friend, hiding a grin as he did so. Eusine could be brash, impulsive, and single-minded, but he was also highly interested in puzzles and the stories of the Legendaries, with an obvious emphasis on Suicune. Despite any hard feelings he had for Ash, Eusine would want to see if Morty's theory held any water.

The Ghost-type trainer led the other three across town until they were standing in front of the multi-tiered Bell Tower; or, more precisely, a squat structure in front of the Bell Tower. Like the rest of Ecruteak City, the Bell Tower had a rustic, muted look to it, a pagoda with blue, tiled roofs over its ten stories and umber colored architecture. Golden bells hung from each corner of every floor's roof, barring the top level where the bells were a beautiful crystal.

Morty walked up to the short building's entrance and knocked on the door. A moment later, the face of an elderly man appeared in a crack between the old doors. His placid expression morphed into one of mild surprise. "Master Morty, how unexpected."

"Honorable Sage Koji," bowed the Gym Leader, "I apologize for the unannounced intrusion, but I had a sudden desire to visit the tower today. If you would be so kind as to let us through…"

Koji's eyes flickered to the trio standing behind the Ghost-type trainer. "As always, you are welcome to enter, Master Morty. Your family has a long history of protecting the Bell Tower and acting within the best interests of Ecruteak City. However, this is a sacred place, not a tourist destination, and your friends will not be allowed to step foot inside."

"I respect your decision, Honorable Sage, but there are…extenuating circumstances which I believe deserve a reprieve on the rules just this once." Morty spared a glance for the outdoors, watching the citizens of his city go by, before turning his attention back to the monk. "Perhaps if we could discuss this further inside…"

A long moment passed where Koji said nothing. Finally, he closed his eyes and opened the door wider. "You have always had a good head on your shoulders, Master Morty. Very well, I will hear you out. Come," he beckoned, "welcome." Morty bowed in appreciation and murmured a gracious thanks, his companions aping his behavior.

The minute Ash walked through the structure's entrance, the sound of chiming rang out. "It can't be!" gasped Koji, pushing past the group to get outside. At the front of the procession, Morty allowed a bemused smirk to cross his features.

On the first nine floors of the pagoda, the golden bells that dangled from each roof were clanging in the breeze. Koji stared at the baubles for a long moment in disbelief before turning to face Morty. "This is simply astounding! How…?" Morty thumbed towards Ash, and the sage hurried back into the building and shut the doors. "Those bells only ring when Suicune is near," explained Koji. "Do you…?"

Ash understood the unfinished question and brought forth Suicune's Pokéball. In a flash of light, the regal Water-type was again released from its confines. As the sage basked in the Legendary Pokémon's presence, Morty said, "I believe you now understand the importance of allowing my friends access to the rest of Bell Tower."

"Yes, of course," nodded Koji. "Please, go right ahead. Master Morty can take you up."

Said male beckoned for the others to follow him. "Sorry about Koji," he mentioned as they walked down a long hallway. "He's in charge of protecting the Bell Tower from any outside influence, in order to preserve the sanctity of this place. He also happens to be a stickler for the rules, and puts a lot of stock in proper decorum. I could personally do without the title of 'Master', but – ah, here we go." Morty paused at the end of the hallway, turning to face the gathering. "No one outside the sages and my family has been allowed to step foot past this area. I hope you understand the importance of this place to Ecruteak City, not to mention all of Johto."

"Of course," Ash assured him as Misty nodded and Eusine watched in muted curiosity. "We would never want to disrespect this place."

Morty offered the other male a small upturn of his lips. "No, I didn't think you would." The Ecruteak Gym Leader pushed open the double doors, and his companions gaped at the sight before them.

Trees lined a long trail that led straight to the entrance of the Bell Tower, their leaves a vibrant array of reds, oranges, and yellows that left the visitors temporarily stunned. Colorful detritus littered the pathway, painting the entire area in a magnificent golden hue. "It's beautiful," Misty whispered, awestruck. "Like the sunset at Cerulean Cape…only so much more."

"This is the Bellchime Trail," Morty informed them quietly, as if afraid that speaking loudly would disrupt the majesty of the place. "No one knows why, but it's like this year-round, no matter what the weather's like. It's truly quite amazing. Our destination, however, is at the end of this path."

The group made their way along the trail until the grandiose double doors of the Bell Tower were before them. When they entered, the small room they found themselves in consisted of only a ladder and three walls hedging them in. "The people and Pokémon who built this place put in many ladders leading to dead ends and illusionary walls to trick any thieves or people with ill intent from reaching Ho-oh," Morty explained. "I know my way around…but it appears as if your friend would rather lead the way."

Indeed, Suicune was already padding over to the ladder leading to the second floor. It leaped through the opening and stuck its head back through, as if beckoning the four humans to follow. Ash took his Pokémon up on the offer, with Misty, Morty, and Eusine close behind. This continued for the first nine levels, until the small party was on the penultimate floor and there were no more ladders. "Where to now?" Ash asked, addressing no one in particular.

"Not…sure," Morty answered hesitantly. "Even though there are ten floors, I've only ever made it here. In all my years, I've never been able to make it to the roof." He looked around the room, trying to see if there was anything he had missed in his previous jaunts to the Bell Tower that would indicate how to reach the final floor. Unfortunately, the area was rather barren, with only three statues – one each against the west, north, and east walls – as decorations.

Ash had a weathered eye on Suicune, who was staring intently at the statue against the north wall. "Hey Morty, what's with these statues?"

The Gym Leader walked over to stand beside Ash. "It's said that they're supposed to represent the three Pokémon who died in the collapse of the Brass Tower and were reborn as Suicune, Entei, and Raikou. They were put in shortly after Ho-oh left its roost. In fact, the day these were placed up here was the last day the Bell Tower had any inhabitants." Morty watched as Ash scrutinized the statue, comparing its likeness to Suicune. The Frontier Brain then moved to kneel before the other two statues before coming to stand in the center of the room again. "What're you thinking?"

"I'm thinking…Suicune's lonely." He removed two Pokéballs from his belt and opened them, revealing the imposing forms of Entei and Raikou. The two Legendary Beasts exchanged nods and split to stand in front of their respective statues. Then, all three Pokémon bowed their heads to touch the statues.

The ceiling rumbled as a staircase formed from it and swung to the floor. "That's never happened before," Morty claimed. "How did you know what to do?"

Ash looked at the gathered Legendary Beasts. "According to the legend, there's an obvious connection between Ho-oh and these three," he gestured. "If the top of Bell Tower is where Ho-oh used to roost, then it would make sense that Suicune, Entei, and Raikou are needed to access it. Doesn't explain how they did it hundreds of years ago…but I suppose that's neither here nor there." He glanced thoughtfully at the staircase, then at the three Pokémon. "After you."

Raikou, Entei, and Suicune padded up the staircase, followed by their trainer and then Morty, Eusine, and Misty (with Pikachu still in her arms). They were greeted by the blue of the sky and the white of the clouds, the sun at its zenith. It illuminated the tall golden spire on the Bell Tower's rooftop and shone off the statues of Ho-oh rooted on each corner. Morty, as a native of Ecruteak and an avid historian, looked around in amazement at an area which hadn't been seen in over a century and a half. Ash did the same, a frown wrinkling his brow. "What next?" he muttered to himself.

His query was answered by Suicune, who deposited a small green, white, and red feather into his hand. "Hm?" He held the feather up to the sky, letting the light play over the tri-colored item.

Then came the deep tolling of the crystal bells.

The clouds parted and a bright ray of light shone down upon Bell Tower's spire. Morty turned his gaze skyward, shielding his eyes from the increased sunshine; everyone else followed his example. A shadow was cast over the roof of the pagoda as a large form descended upon the Bell Tower.

Ho-oh looked to be just a tad smaller than Lugia, though its wingspan was just as long as its fellow Legendary's. Red-orange plumage decorated its body, the wingtips bearing a stripe of white and then green, and its belly boasting pure white feathers. Green feathers collared its neck in a thin strip, and a bushy tail of feathers fading from gold to white composed its tail. A golden crest rested atop Ho-oh's somewhat small head, accented by an equally golden beak and dark circles around its red eyes. It landed on the tower's spire, gripping one of the cylindrical shells spaced every couple of feet with sharp, blue talons.

"Ho-oh…" whispered Ash, admiring the Rainbow Pokémon, "This is the first time I've seen it up close." The raven-haired trainer looked around, finding that Morty had been rendered absolutely speechless, and that even Eusine's sour features had melted to show his awe. Suicune, Raikou, and Entei all had their heads bowed in reverence to the one who had resurrected them. "You know," he addressed the bird, "you're the reason I was able to keep moving forward that first day of my journey, to keep striving towards my goal of being a Pokémon Master. Thank you for inspiring me to be my best." Ho-oh cocked its head to the side, as if accepting the male's gratitude and waiting expectantly for more. Ash recalled the three Legendary Beasts and brought out another Pokéball. "But now you're an obstacle on my way to completing this journey. I hope you're ready for this."

Ho-oh released a proud crow. Ash smirked, knowing that the Rainbow Pokémon had accepted his challenge. "Feraligatr, let's do this," he announced, tossing out the sphere. The crocodilian Pokémon appeared with a rumble of his name. "Start off with a Water Gun."

"Gator," grunted the blue Pokémon before unleashing a stream of water at his opponent. Ho-oh flapped its wings and rose into the air, easily evading the liquid. The Rainbow Pokémon threw an AncientPower at its grounded foe, but Feraligatr swung his tail into the silvery orbs, breaking them apart with Thrash.

"Alright Feraligatr, try a Hydro Pump." The deluge spewed forth from his mouth, but Ho-oh again avoided the Water-type attack. In retaliation, it expelled a Fire Blast, which was countered with a second Hydro Pump. Then Ho-oh became encompassed in a golden aura, and from its beak came a golden flame.

"That's the legendary flame of Ho-oh, the Sacred Fire," Morty said in awe.

"Feraligatr, Aqua Shield!" Ash shouted. The spiral of water for an Aqua Tail formed around the Big Jaw Pokémon's appendage before he slammed it against the ground, raising a wall of in front of him. Both elemental attacks collided, with the Fire-type attack evaporating the makeshift shield on contact. Feraligatr released a growl as the conflagration surrounded him and licked at his leathery skin.

Ash gritted his teeth. Ho-oh was ridiculously powerful, and like Lugia, had the distinct advantage of being able to fly over the battlefield. With most of his Pokémon being grounded, he was at a distinct handicap trying to fight the Legendary Pokémon over the Bell Tower. Not to mention that Feraligatr, one of his few friends who had a type advantage over the bird, was still not fully recovered from his battle with Raikou and Entei the previous day. "Feraligatr, return!" he called. The Johto starter disappeared, and the flames surrounding him disintegrated into embers. The Frontier Brain withdrew another Pokéball. "Well buddy, looks like you'll finally get your challenge. Charizard, go!"

The Flame Pokémon burst forth from the capsule with a roar and immediately took to the skies. He spotted Ho-oh and a burst of fire escaped from his nostrils. Turning to face his trainer, Charizard gave Ash a nod of approval, communicating that he was indeed pleased with this battle. "You'd better be," Ash muttered. "Ho-oh's twice your size." Charizard blasted a scorching Flamethrower at the phoenix-like Pokémon, which was immediately countered by an equally powerful Fire Blast.

"Unbelievable," said Misty, tugging slightly at the collar of his shirt. "We can feel the heat from way down here."

Morty nodded. "This should prove to be quite the match."

"Charizard, shield with Steel Wing!" Ash commanded as Ho-oh launched another AncientPower. "Now, hit it with DragonBreath!" The Flame Pokémon expelled a burst of blue air at his opponent, but a green energy shield surrounded Ho-oh. "Damn, Safeguard. Try an Overheat!"

White-hot fire shot out at the Legendary Pokémon. It hit the barrier and pulsed against it for several seconds before finally breaking through and engulfing Ho-oh in flames. "Yes!" cheered Ash, but the bird spread its wings and dispersed the flames. "Crap." Ho-oh then became encased in white fire, only for it to fade into a glowing blue aura. "Double crap. Charizard, Take Down!"

The fiery dragon roared and dove towards Ho-oh as the phoenix-like Pokémon did the same. Charizard threw his entire body into the attack, but Ho-oh's greater bulk won out, and he was sent reeling by the Brave Bird assault. Righting himself with a shake of his head, Charizard bellowed fiercely and exhaled another Flamethrower at the Legendary. Recovering from the recoil, Ho-oh could only take the Fire-type attack head-on. Charizard roared proudly, but the flames surrounding the Rainbow Pokémon merely took on a golden aura. When Ho-oh launched its Sacred Fire, Ash called for a Dragon Rage to counter it.

There was an explosion as the two attacks met, and a hot wind blew over the group on the Bell Tower, forcing all the spectators to duck their heads. "This is ridiculous!" shouted Misty, trying to be heard over the roar of the wind.

"Ho-oh is clearly a force to be reckoned with!" Morty agreed. "I don't condone the actions of the past, but it's quite obvious why people would want to use it for personal gain!"

Ash ignored the dialogue of his associates. "Hey Charizard, are you okay?" A roar sounded out, and soon the Flame Pokémon was floating above the cloud of smoke. "Great! Fire a DragonBreath into the smoke!"

Charizard did as he was bade, expelling a blast of blue air into the haze. There was a loud crow in response, and then Ho-oh appeared, its body surrounded by a golden-white aura. It flew at the fiery dragon, and Ash quickly called for his Pokémon to defend with Dragon Claw. The Flame Pokémon's claws turned a luminescent blue and extended several inches, allowing him to just barely catch Ho-oh's wings.

The two Flying-types struggled against each other, both using all their strength in the aerial deadlock, but Charizard was slowly being pushed back. Ho-oh's massive size was again proving to be a boon for the Legendary Pokémon. Ash needed to find a way to turn Ho-oh's advantage into a weakness. "Charizard, Seismic Toss!" he yelled.

Charizard grunted and tightened his grip on his opponent's wings, but Ho-oh acted first, exhaling a Fire Blast into the Flame Pokémon's face at point-blank range. Ash's Pokémon bellowed in rage and attempted to recover his equilibrium, but Ho-oh again preempted him and finally landed its Sky Attack.

The Flame Pokémon fell a short distance before opening his wings and shaking his head. Despite looking a bit worse for wear, he regained the lost altitude and faced down Ho-oh once again. At Ash's behest, he loosed another Dragon Rage at Ho-oh; the bird countered by firing an Extrasensory. Both attacks collided, but the ball of condensed fire tore through the psychic energy and hit Ho-oh. The Rainbow Pokémon screeched in pain, but then began to glow gold.

"That's Recover," Ash realized. "Charizard, hit Ho-oh with a Wing Attack before it recovers!"

Charizard roared and dove at Ho-oh, his wings a pure white. He reached the bird a moment too late, though the Flying-type attack still hit home. The Flame Pokémon immediately whirled around and exhaled a Flamethrower, but Ho-oh formed the silvery orbs of an AncientPower and used the Rock-type attack to take the brunt of the conflagration. Smoke came out of the dragon's nostrils, a clear sign of his agitation.

Ash watched his friend, noting the scorch marks Ho-oh's flames had caused and the heavy breaths Charizard was taking. _Charizard…_ There was little doubt in the Frontier Brain's mind that the Fire/Flying hybrid was one of, if not the strongest Pokémon within his possession, especially given Charizard's willpower and pride, but he was clearly approaching his limit. Knowing that the Flame Pokémon wouldn't give up even if Ash asked him to, Ash prepared to give his friend one last command. "Alright Charizard, use Fire Blast, and pour everything you've got into it!"

The flame on Charizard's tail multiplied in size, growing to a raging inferno as fire accumulated in his open maw. Across from him, Ho-oh's body began to glow a bright blue-white color, fire amassing in its beak as well. "What is _that_?" gasped Misty.

"It…looks like Ho-oh's Sacred Fire," Morty speculated, "but the coloring is different."

"The heat given off by a flame increases in intensity from red to orange to yellow, and finally to white or bluish-white," spoke Eusine.

Morty turned to his friend. "So you think –"

"That that is the hottest Fire-type attack we will ever be witness to, yes," finished Eusine.

There was no more time for hypotheses. With a thunderous bellow, Charizard unleashed the gathered flames in Fire Blast's telltale shape just as Ho-oh launched its blue-white Sacred Fire. For a long moment, as the two attacks struggled against each other, it appeared as if they were equal in firepower. But then the blue flames of Ho-oh's assault began to burn through Charizard's red-white fire. Ho-oh expelled its own Fire Blast, giving its conflagration enough fuel to completely overwhelm the Flame Pokémon's fire. Too tired to move, Charizard was struck by the phoenix-like creature's flames.

Charizard let out one more roar before his eyes closed and he plummeted to the ground below. Ash shouted his name as he passed Bell Tower's roof, but Charizard had no energy left to right himself. He landed in a pile of leaves on the Bellchime Trail, sending up a flurry of yellows, oranges, and reds amidst the _crunch_ of his body impacting the detritus.

Ash called out Pidgeot and jumped on the Bird Pokémon's back, instructing her to fly down to where Charizard lay. Misty, Morty, and Eusine clambered down the stairs of the Bell Tower as Ash descended towards the downed Flame Pokémon.

The Frontier Brain jumped off Pidgeot as they neared the ground, landing near Charizard and falling to his knees in front of the fiery dragon. "Hey buddy," he whispered, placing a comforting hand upon the creature's leathery neck. Charizard opened one eye and grunted, craning his neck in an effort to get up. When the simple action proved too much, he relaxed back onto the leaves with a snort. Ash laughed weakly. "Yeah, I don't think you're going anywhere for a bit. Ho-oh did quite a number on you."

A large gust of wind forced Ash to shield his eyes from the fallen leaves and dirt that was suddenly uplifted. He turned to find Ho-oh standing in the center of the Bellchime Trail, its sharp eyes watching his every move. Pidgeot stood in front of her trainer with her wings spread out protectively, looking like nothing more than a fledgling in comparison to the Rainbow Pokémon. "Pidgeot," Ash said, and merely shook his head when the bird turned to him. He recalled Charizard and went to stand before Ho-oh, left hand soothingly stroking the white and tan feathers of Pidgeot's wing.

Taking a deep breath, Ash hung his head. "I'm sorry Ho-oh, but I can't fight you anymore. Not only do I not have anyone with me who can match you, but…" He sighed and glanced at Charizard's Pokéball, grasped tightly in his right hand. "It's not worth the pain my Pokémon would have to go through to continue this battle. Every injury they sustain is because I pushed them into battle, another scar I have to bear for having them fight for me. They're my friends… I would rather not see them continue to be hurt by going forward with something so unnecessary." Pidgeot cooed under his touch, agreeing with her trainer's words and assuring him that they battled because they cared for him too.

Ho-oh stared at the smaller bird and her trainer with a keen eye, analyzing them. From the entrance to the Bell Tower appeared Misty, Morty, and Eusine, all of whom subconsciously decided to not intrude upon the scenario before them, and kept their distance from Ash. Amazed, they all watched as the Rainbow Pokémon blinked and bowed its head to the raven-haired trainer. Ho-oh slowly approached Ash, and with its beak, tapped one of the Pokéballs on the man's belt.

Ash blinked, confused. "I don't understand."

Morty decided to take a hesitant step forward, then another, then another, until he was standing just behind Ash. "The legends all say that Ho-oh would reappear when the hearts of Pokémon and humans were united. Perhaps you have proven to Ho-oh that you and your Pokémon fully understand one another, Ash, and that's all it wanted to know in the first place."

Ash considered Morty's explanation. Rai _had_ stated that not all of the challenges set forth by the Legendaries would to be battles, but most of the ones he had encountered thus far (barring Mewtwo) had not stipulated anything different. "Is that true?" he addressed the bird.

Ho-oh crooned softly and nodded. "So you're going to come with me?" Ash asked. Again, the Legendary Pokémon nodded. "Thank you Ho-oh," he murmured, "for granting me this honor." He clipped Charizard's Pokéball to his belt and then withdrew an empty one.

Before he could open it for the phoenix-like creature, a hand stopped him. "If you would wait a moment," Morty said, "I would appreciate it." Ash let his arm drop to his side. "Thank you." Morty turned brown eyes to the giant bird. "Ho-oh…I have waited my entire life to meet you, training and forging strong bonds with my Pokémon in an effort to be the one you sought. I understand now that I am not that person, but I will not allow such a revelation to deter me from my path. No matter how long it takes, my family will be around to protect your roost, and _I_ will strive to continue fortifying my connection to my Pokémon."

Ho-oh stared at the Gym Leader for a long moment before reaching back and plucking a single red-, white-, and green-colored feather from its plumage. It waited until Morty held out one trembling hand before depositing the item into his palm. "This…is simply amazing." The Ghost-type trainer looked about ready to cry from a mixture of joy, shock, and awe. "Thank you Ho-oh, for granting me this honor," he uttered, repeating Ash's words. "I will never forget this."

With Morty's interaction with the giant bird finished, Ash held out the empty Pokéball. Ho-oh tapped the button on the front and disappeared. A beat of silence passed, and then Ash stated, "Well, now that _that's_ over, I think it's time to be moving on. Morty, your help was greatly appreciated. I owe you big time."

"It was my pleasure, Ash. Truly, it is I who is indebted to you for allowing me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you don't mind my asking, where are you off to next?"

Ash glanced behind to make sure Misty wasn't in earshot before whispering, "The Ilex Forest. Don't tell Misty though…she'll freak out."

Morty raised one thin, blonde eyebrow. "If you say so. I suppose you'll be absent from the summit meeting again?"

"…Er…"

Morty gave him a slight smile. "I understand. It's not like you're really required to be there anyway. Misty, I look forward to seeing you at the Pokémon League Summit," he continued, turning his attention to the other Gym Leader, who was now standing beside Ash.

"You too, Morty," stated the redhead, handing Pikachu over to Ash.

Ash nodded to Morty once more and turned to walk away, but Eusine's voice stopped him. "I…believe I owe you an apology," Eusine began. "It was wrong of me to approach you so…aggressively. In light of recent circumstances, I am forced to admit that you are indeed worthy of being Suicune's trainer…and Ho-oh's. I apologize for how brashly I acted."

There was a long silence before Ash raised a hand in farewell without turning around. "It's all good. Good luck with your search for another Suicune."

And with that, Ash and Misty left Bellchime Trail and began their venture out of Ecruteak City.

-l-l-l-

**Day 40 – June 16****th**

"_AAIIIEEEEE!_"

Ash rolled his eyes. Some things would never change. Misty's horrendous fear of bugs, for instance. "Misty, _relax_. It's just a little Spinarak."

The redhead shot him a look that could freeze lava. "Don't _tell_ me to relax, Ketchum. You know how much I hate Bug Pokémon." She squeezed Pikachu a little tighter, causing the Electric-type to wince at the increased pressure on his body. Spinarak moved a little closer to the woman, the markings on its body contorting into a smiley face. "Ash, _do something!_"

"Aw, but Mist, it's completely harmless –"

"_ASH KETCHUM, I SWEAR –!"_

The raven-haired trainer cast a bemused glance at the golden- and scarlet-feathered form of his Noctowl, perched upon his left shoulder. "Alright Noctowl, I guess it's time to step in." The bird hooted and left his trainer's shoulder, coming to hover in front of the Spinarak. His eyes glowed luminescent red and then two similarly colored rings struck the Bug-type. The arachnid immediately about-faced and returned to its home within the trees. Noctowl returned to Ash's shoulder as the Frontier Brain turned around and said, "See Mist? Nothing a little Hypnosis can't handle."

"I can't believe I let you talk me into coming here," Misty shuddered, hunching in upon herself and casting wary glances at the surrounding foliage.

"Hey, I offered to put you up in a posh hotel in Goldenrod while I continued on, but you _insisted_ on accompanying me."

"YOU DIDN'T SAY WE WERE GOING TO THE ILEX FOREST!"

"Some things are better left as a surprise," he confided in Noctowl, a mischievous grin on his face. "More fun that way. Though if I had known exactly how much screaming I would have to put up with, I probably would've left her behind." Aloud he said, "You could always lead. It's much harder to keep an eye on you when you're behind me."

"Fine," she huffed, striding past him. The redhead rounded a bend in the path ahead, and then a bloodcurdling shriek sounded out. She came sprinting around the corner and latched onto Ash's right arm with such force that Noctowl had to dig in his talons to avoid being dislodged. "Getthemaway, getthemaway, _getthemawaaaay,_" she wailed.

Ash winced at the sudden pressure on both his right arm and left shoulder. "Noctowl, if you could go…" he gestured. The shiny Pokémon immediately released his grip and took off, allowing Ash to focus his attention on Misty. "Misty, not for nothing, but I would really appreciate the use of my limb back." When she didn't relinquish her hold, he sighed, "The sooner you let go, the sooner we can find the shrine and get out of here."

There was a soft whimper, and then Misty's reluctant, "Fine. But I'm not leaving your side."

"Sure," Ash nodded, sounding sympathetic. He turned the corner, finding a trio of Metapod withdrawing out of sight. "Noctowl, could you scout ahead and take care of any, uh, distractions?" The bird keened quietly and flew off, leaving the two trainers to follow at a more sedate pace.

It had taken the pair about two weeks to get from the rustic Ecruteak City to the hustle and bustle of Goldenrod City. Despite Ash's offer to put Misty up in a hotel room for a couple of days while he went in search of Celebi, the redhead had vehemently protested being left behind, and Ash, indulging his prankster side, had neglected to tell her that the Ilex Forest was their destination. Misty had found out soon enough after they had departed Route 34, and had all but demanded Pikachu for protection, even though all three of them knew the rodent was too powerful to repel the wild Pokémon without actually hurting them. They, not the forest dwellers, were the intruders after all, and not doing the wild Pokémon permanent damage was important.

Which was why Ash had called out Noctowl: to provide a peaceable solution to any encounters they might come across with the bird's Hypnosis. As the days they had been wandering through the forest increased, the Owl Pokémon's usefulness had also shot up proportionally.

In addition to trying to discover where they had been headed, Misty had also been rather curious at Brock's continued absence. Ash had remained unworried, stating that it wasn't unusual for the breeder to disappear for weeks at a time, and that he would return when his business was concluded. The Frontier Brain had made sure that James would call when Brock returned to the Battle Island, so that his Blissey could properly take care of Charizard and Ho-oh, both of whom Ash had sent back before departing Ecruteak.

Ash almost thought that Misty was a little grateful for the lack of their companion's presence. While she hadn't outright flirted with him on the trek from Ecruteak to Goldenrod – something he had been relieved for – there had been a distinct charge in the atmosphere between the two. He was tempted to call it tension if not for the fact that their journey had been nothing but amicable.

Idly, Ash wondered if Misty had changed her strategy to allow the more subtle interactions to slowly drive him crazy. The thought was a rather paranoid one – most of the ones he had with regard to his red-haired best friend seemed to revolve around an unconfirmed conspiracy nowadays – but Ash had to admit that the slow-play was strangely more enticing than the direct approach. He wasn't used to Misty acting so direct with regard to romantic inclinations, so the lack of pursuit made it much easier to consider things clearly. And with all of the free time for internal reflection, Ash had allowed himself to ruminate on the friendship he and Misty shared.

He was surprised to find that the thought of entering a romantic relationship with the Cerulean Gym Leader was no longer an unappealing one. During their travel from Ecruteak to Goldenrod, Ash had been reminded of what it was like to hang out with his best friend one-on-one. Conversation hadn't been a constant, but the silences between them were comfortable, and laughter had been common. The revelation that he and Misty still shared the same synergy and camaraderie they had in the early years of their friendship was a comforting one.

So if everything had remained constant for 15 years, why would it change if they did progress to 'more-than-friends' status? After all, things shouldn't really be all that different, barring some…perks…that came with dating.

Ash mentally flinched at the thought of the extra duties that came with being a boyfriend. That was a deep well that he was a bit apprehensive to plumb.

Fortunately, the raven-haired trainer wasn't given any more time to consider the conundrum, for Noctowl came swooping back through the forest. He reclaimed his perch on Ash's shoulder and began to hoot in the male's ear. "Alright, thanks for the info, Noctowl. C'mon Mist, we're almost there."

"Almost where?" she asked, bringing her pace to a quick jog when Ash did the same.

"You'll see," was all he said.

Soon enough, they were standing before a small shrine, its bright red roof making the rest of its weathered wood appear drab in comparison. "What're we doing here?" Misty asked.

"This is a shrine dedicated to the Guardian of the Forest, which, if the myths are to be believed, is Celebi," Ash explained. "Here, take Noctowl. I want a closer look at the shrine."

"Alright." The Owl Pokémon hopped upon her shoulder, allowing Ash to take several steps forward and kneel in front of the shrine. He reached out with a hand and carefully ran it over the wooden construct, examining it for small indentations or symbols, something to point him towards Celebi.

There was a bright flash of light, forcing Ash to whirl around and shield his eyes with the crook of his arm. When he opened them, he could only gape in awe.

Everything around him – the forest, Misty, Pikachu, Noctowl – was frozen in place and devoid of color, a complete grayscale landscape. He gazed at his own hands, finding them to be their usual tan flesh-tone. Turning slowly on the spot, he discovered that there was a hemisphere roughly 15 feet in diameter – encompassing the shrine, and with him at the center – of non-monochromatic scenery.

And hovering above the shrine with small, translucent wings was the small, pixy-like form of Celebi. It stared at Ash with blue eyes set in a head too large for its pale and lime green body. In comparison to his battles with the rest of Johto's Legendary Pokémon, Ash was a little relieved to confront one who was smaller than him. "This is quite a trick," Ash tried nonchalantly, arms spread out to indicate the frozen scene around him. He reached for his belt and grabbed a Pokéball. "I suppose I'll have to catch you to stop it."

Celebi spread its arms wide and closed its eyes, the dark circles around them blending into its eyelids and creating black spots just below the roots of its blue-tipped antennae. Suddenly, Ash was bombarded by flashes of images, the intensity of the pictures causing him to clutch his head in pain. "Stop, stop!" he shouted, shaking his head. The abrupt picture show ended, allowing him to once again look at the Guardian of the Forest. Remembering that Celebi was part Psychic-type, he ventured, "So you can communicate by showing images in people's heads?" The Grass/Psychic hybrid nodded. Plant life began to emerge from the ground behind Ash, twining together to form a chair of flora. Ash glanced at the makeshift chair and shot a look at Celebi. Taking a seat, he sighed, "I feel like this is a setup."

The Time Travel Pokémon almost seemed to smile at the remark, once again closing its eyes. This time, Ash felt like he was watching a video of his life on rewind, instead of the multitude of disjointed images Celebi had showed him the first time. When the pictures stopped reeling, Ash was looking at his 10-year-old self clad in a simple turquoise kimono.

"_Sorry I'm late," Misty apologized, coming up to where he was sitting on a bench. Ash looked up, startled to find the redhead dressed in a pink kimono decorated with bubbles, her hair let out from its usual side-ponytail. She gave him a somewhat confused look when he did nothing but stare, but replaced it with a smile. "Come on, Ash, let's dance."_

"_Ah, sure." He grabbed her proffered hand and let her lead him to the dance floor._

The image dissipated, and there was a flash in his mind's eye as Celebi found another memory to show him.

_Ash sat up from his prostrate position on the floor of Lavender Town's Pokémon Tower. "Hi Misty. Hey guys, sorry to worry you."_

"_No sweat, glad to have you back," Brock admitted._

_Meanwhile, Misty wiped the tears from her eyes and offered him a shaky smile._

Another flash as Celebi sifted through memories long passed. Only two images in, and Ash was starting to detect a theme. "Definitely a bloody conspiracy," he muttered.

"_What's that saying? 'You always hurt the ones you love'?"_

"_Oh, you've got it all wrong," Misty assured Danny, running to catch up to him. "I'd never get involved with a little kid like him. I prefer the more mature, intellectual type."_

"Pretentious git," Ash raged quietly, "thought he knew everything. Who has challengers climb a mountain without any gear anyway? I nearly died! Couldn't figure out what Misty saw in him…"

"_I dedicate this match to the girl who saved my sister and stole my heart," professed Rudy._

"Him either," he seethed, suddenly remembering Rudy's persistent interest in Misty –

"_Ash! What're you gonna do, just stand there and let him beat ya? C'mon, you're the only one who can bring out Squirtle's real power!"_

—and how, in the end, Misty had chosen to continue journeying with him and Tracey over staying on Trovita Island. "Yeah, who won there, huh?" he proclaimed to no one.

Flash.

"_Wow, can you imagine Brock married?"_

"_You and I will be married someday too."_

_Ash nodded in agreement, then did a double-take when his friend's words actually registered._

"That doesn't mean anything," he protested.

Flash.

"_I just love the quietly heroic and passionate type. Say, how 'bout some lunch?"_

"_Excuse me," Misty interrupted defensively, "Ash is booked."_

"_Oh really? Who says?"_

"_I say so, Ms. Pigtails, and I'm the famous Water Pokémon trainer from Cerulean City; Misty is the name."_

"_Misty…and you say that you train Water Pokémon full time? By the way, are you Ash's girlfriend or not?"_

"_N-no, I-I'm his coach…"_

"_Then I would thank you to stay out of his personal business."_

Flash.

_Misty tied a length of rope around her waist and turned to face Melody. "Ash is my burden. He'll never be alone because…he'll always have me…" Then she dove into the raging water and swam towards the place where Ash and Lugia had gone down._

"I don't remember that…" Ash murmured. "Misty was the one who saved me…?"

Flash.

"_Well Ash Ketchum, finally I know how you feel about me," Misty murmured, pedaling away from her long-time traveling companion. The tears in her eyes were lost to the wind._

Flash.

"_I got this lure from Misty a long time ago."_

"_Oh, let me give that thing a try."_

"_No way Dawn!"_

Ash watched in fascination as Celebi showed him memory after memory – most of them his, some of them Misty's – all centered around his interaction with the redhead. Many were from their younger years traveling through Kanto, the Orange Islands, and Johto, but there were plenty from the years following his return from Sinnoh and his induction into the Battle Frontier. Each one just seemed to prove how far his friendship with Misty had come, and how far it truly extended. Still… "Why are you showing me all this?" he asked.

_[Because, Chosen One, everything needs balance]_ spoke a voice in his mind. It was deep, and Ash immediately ruled out Celebi talking to him telepathically, instead considering the farfetched possibility of it belonging to one of the Legendaries from Hoenn or Sinnoh. _[While you possess a good heart and your spirit is strong, you have isolated yourself from forming deep attachments with those you call 'friend'. Barring the notable exceptions of your current traveling companions, your interactions with others, even those you consider yourself close to, are limited to surface interactions not meant to go past a professional relationship. You must remember what it is like to have faith in people's intentions, and your closest friends are a good place to start. Everything needs balance]_ repeated the voice. With that, the voice was gone.

Ash pondered the voice's words as the forest around him regained its color and the flora-chair disappeared back into the ground. Misty's sudden cry of, "Ash, it's Celebi!" shook him from his stupor.

_Everything's back to normal._ He looked around just to assure himself of that fact. _Now's not the time to think of all that stuff. _His fingers clenched a bit more tightly around the Pokéball still in his hand. _It's time to battle._

"Heracross, go!" The Single Horn Pokémon appeared in a flash of light and immediately latched onto the nearest tree with a happy cry of his name. He began to emit slurping sounds as he broke through the bark and reached the sweet sap within. Ash face-palmed; the default actions of some of his Pokémon upon being called out were really quite astounding. "Hey Heracross, not to interrupt your meal, but I could kinda use your help over here."

Heracross looked over at his trainer, blinking curiously. Then, with a flurry of his wings, he dropped into a battle-ready position in front of Ash. "Hera-crah!"

Ash laughed. "I knew I could count on you. Let's start things off with Horn Attack." The Single Horn Pokémon charged forward with his trademark gleaming bright silver. Celebi floated up and away from the shrine, and Heracross was forced to take to the air to catch the pixy-like creature. "Megahorn," Ash called, and the blue beetle increased his speed as the glow of his horn changed to a pure white.

Celebi looked back and squeaked at finding its opponent so close, but it was too late. The Bug/Fighting hybrid plowed his horn into the Time Travel Pokémon with a cry of, "Hera-CRAH!" sending the Legendary tumbling into Ilex Forest's thicket.

"Don't you think that was a bit unnecessary?" Misty berated.

Ash had the grace to look somewhat sheepish. "I didn't think it would do that much," he admitted. _Even taking into account Heracross' strength and Celebi's dual weakness to Bug-type attacks, I figured Celebi would be able to avoid that somehow. I wonder if showing me all those images took a lot of its energy…_

"Ash, Celebi isn't a bulky Pokémon like Lugia or Entei. It can't just take the kind of attacks Heracross uses."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," he muttered. Suddenly, lime green crescent-shaped leaves appeared from the forest, all headed directly at Heracross. "Defend with Endure," he commanded. The Single Horn Pokémon hunkered down to protect himself as the Magical Leaf attack broke over his carapace. Just as the Bug- and Fighting-type rose from his position, a ball of multicolored psychic energy blew out from the trees and struck him in the chest. Heracross winced but managed to stay on his feet, wary of another attack.

_As long as Celebi stays within the forest, it has the advantage,_ Ash realized. _Heracross isn't agile enough to follow it through the trees and keep up, assuming he can even find it._ "Heracross, return," he decided, recalling the Pokémon. Casting a glance in Misty's direction, he continued, "Noctowl, it's your turn." The Owl Pokémon hooted and left Misty's shoulder, gliding over to his trainer. "We need to find Celebi, so use your Foresight on the forest over there," he said, pointing towards where the Magical Leaf and Future Sight had come from.

Noctowl's eyes glowed red before twin beams erupted from them and scanned over the area his trainer had indicated. In short order, Celebi's small form was revealed to be hovering in between two thick trees amidst all the foliage, the formation of another Magical Leaf apparent. "Use Confusion," he commanded. The roughly U-shaped crest on Noctowl's forehead glowed sky blue before he released a wave of psychic energy from it. There was a far-away squeal as the attack washed over Celebi, interrupting its own technique. When the Time Travel Pokémon didn't appear in the clearing by the shrine, Ash raised an eyebrow. "Making this difficult, huh? Fine. Noctowl, go find Celebi."

The owl hooted and flew off, dipping into the darkness of Ilex Forest's depths.

For a long time, there was silence in the surrounding area as Noctowl and Celebi engaged in an invisible game of cat and mouse. Ash was grateful for the lack of noise the Owl Pokémon's wings made as he flew, as it gave him a distinct advantage in finding his prey. Celebi might have better knowledge of the surrounding woods – even though Noctowl had originally grown up in the Ilex Forest, albeit much closer to Goldenrod City than Azalea Town – but Noctowl had the type advantage and the keen intellect of a hunter.

From the left came the sound of rustling leaves, followed by a loud keening, a flare of brilliant blue, and a high-pitched squeal. Celebi came crashing through the underbrush with Noctowl right on its tail, a second Air Slash closing the space between them. The Flying-type attack struck the ground as Celebi swerved to avoid it, sending forest loam and dust into the air. "Noctowl, use Foresight to get a lock on Celebi and then use Sky Attack!" Ash shouted, protecting his eyes from the debris.

The Owl Pokémon hooted and sent out Foresight's twin lasers. Finding the Guardian of the Forest within the haze, he became encased in a golden-white aura and swooped at Celebi. The powerful Flying-type attack struck home, sending the Grass/Psychic hybrid into a tree with a short shriek. It hit with a muted _thump_ and slid to the ground. After telling Noctowl to blow away the residual dust in the air, Ash casually tossed a Pokéball at the Time Travel Pokémon.

When it stopped shaking, Ash walked over and picked up the sphere. He stared at it, trying to gather the thoughts that had cropped up from his trip down memory lane. Those visions, if nothing else, had reaffirmed that Misty truly was his best friend, the one person he could rely on to always have his back. Hell, she had apparently even risked her own life to save him in the Orange Islands!

The voice, as sad as it was to admit, was right. Despite his close friendships with Misty and Brock – and to a lesser extent, the former Team Rocket trio – he treated most of the other people he considered friends – Sabrina, Anabel, Morty – more like acquaintances or research assistants than anything else. That wasn't to say he didn't enjoy seeing them or spending time with them, but his association with them involved favors and the swapping of ideas rather than old-fashioned fun.

It was rather disheartening to suddenly realize that his negative outlook on dating had spread to affect his relationships with other people. _Everything needs balance…_ He had to rectify this situation.

"— of here. Ash! Are you listening to me?"

He had no idea how things would play out, but nothing would change if he didn't take a chance. "Misty," he began, turning around to face her.

"Will you go out with me?"

-l-l-l-

**Author's Note: ***sigh* It's chapters like this that make me wish for a beta-reader. Or someone I know to at least read over what I write. Even though I got everything done that I wanted to, I'm not entirely sure how satisfied I am with this piece. Feels…choppy…

Anyway…I think that given the right team, Ash _could_ defeat Ho-oh, but he doesn't have that, and I also wanted to show that not everything comes down to a battle. Do you know how hard it is to write fight after fight, all with something a little different? Exhausting… So I might gloss over some of the battles in the future. We'll see. And, because I feel it might be brought up, the Bell Tower is the same thing as the Tin Tower, just renamed for Generation IV; I thought it fit better, so I used it.

Next chapter will feature Brock's triumphant return and Ash and Misty's first date. Given that I have no real relationship experience in real life…that should also be interesting to write. Oh, and I added the dates now, 'cause it's easier on me mentally to keep track of certain events I've planned. I'm so clever…

A huge thanks to all my fans and reviewers. Despite the fact that I only get a dozen or so every chapter, they're all in-depth and very inspiring. I appreciate the quality-over-quantity that this story gathers in that respect. Feel free to let me know what you think!

Also, if any of you enjoy my writing and don't particularly ship Ash and Misty as your OTP (read: like me enough to give other pairings a chance), I posted an Ash/Anabel one-shot the other day which I invite you to go read/review.


	12. Forging Ahead

_Battle Island, Kanto_

**Day 43 – June 19****th**

Brock stood at the stove in the kitchen, whistling merrily as he made himself breakfast. The eggs in the frying pan sizzled as he dug at them with a spatula and flipped them carefully.

There wasn't really anything that could ruin his good mood.

The breeder had spent perhaps a bit more time away than usual on his excursion, but given the proceedings that had occurred, taking a little extra time off had certainly been called for. Not only that, but with Ash gone in Johto chasing down the Legendaries of that region, there really hadn't been a rush to return to the Battle Island.

Plus, it gave Misty more time to be alone with her love interest, something Brock sincerely hoped would help any sort of budding romance between his two friends rather than destroy it.

He shook his head a little, a strange smile quirking at his lips. Ash's views of romance and all its encompassing fields were skewed, to say the least. Brock blamed part of it on Ash's upbringing, or lack thereof. That wasn't to say that he thought Delia Ketchum was at fault – in fact, considering her status as a single mother, Brock was impressed that she had made as much headway as she had in Ash's formative years – but that Ash's wandering lifestyle from his pre- to post-pubescent years had left him and romance as awkward dance partners. With the single-minded goal of becoming a Pokémon Master, the tumultuous phase of being at the whim of his hormones had never really struck Ash.

Given his own romantic attempts during their travels, Brock wasn't sure whether Ash should consider himself fortuitous or not. Certainly his inability to create a romantic attachment in his adult life seemed to be backfiring horrendously, considering his situation with Misty.

Brock wished his red-haired friend the best of luck in her goal. Ash had always been rather thickheaded with certain topics even on the best of days. At any given time in the middle of a hunt for Legendary Pokémon?

Misty had a better chance of teaching Psyduck how to swim.

_[Good morning, Brock]_

"AH!" yelped the dark-skinned male. His body jerked in surprise, sending the eggs in the pan flying into the air. A blue aura encased them at the apex of their flight, causing Brock to whirl around, frying pan raised reflexively.

Mewtwo stood before him, left arm raised and pointed at the breakfast meal floating in midair. The eggs were psychically lowered onto a plate that levitated out of a nearby cabinet, and the dish was placed upon the table. A small smirk graced Mewtwo's mouth as he shifted his attention to Brock. _[I don't believe such a weapon will do you much good against me, though you are certainly welcome to try]_

Brock managed to not look completely embarrassed. "No, I…uh…" He moved the frying pan behind his back so it was hidden from view. "Never mind." Then he peered suspiciously at the humanoid Pokémon. "How'd you get in here anyway? I didn't hear you teleport in."

_[Through the door]_ he gestured. _[The simplicity of such an invention requires little forethought to operate]_

Brock continued to fix Mewtwo with an inquisitive look. "You don't have opposable thumbs to turn the knob," he pointed out.

_[…Fine, I used my psychic abilities. Are you satisfied now?]_

The breeder shrugged, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "For the most part…I just wanted to hear you admit it. So, why are you here?"

_[The Chosen One is in trouble. He requires your assistance]_

That got Brock's attention. "Ash? Where is he? What does he need? Which Legendary is he fighting?"

Mewtwo held up a hand to forestall any more questions. _[You will receive all your answers when you get there]_

"Yeah, but that'll take a couple of days. Doesn't he need my help _now_?"

The clone's eyes glowed blue, mimicked immediately by Brock's body. The breeder made a noise of protest, but before he could effectively say anything, he was gone. Mewtwo slumped slightly at the effort of teleporting someone such a long distance; after a moment, he moved towards the door and lifted a hand to the smooth knob, attempting to twist it with his three rounded fingers. It didn't budge. _[Humans are far cleverer than they would let on]_ he mused with an annoyed glare at the knob. The Genetic Pokémon disappeared with a small 'pop', leaving the kitchen in complete silence.

When Meowth wandered in minutes later, he found a plate of Brock's delicious cooking sitting at the table. Deciding that the dark-skinned male would've eaten if he was hungry, he quickly bounded onto the table and devoured the meal, absently wondering why Brock had abandoned it.

-l-l-l-

_Goldenrod City, Johto_

Within the confines of her own room in the Goldenrod City Pokémon Center, Misty resisted the urge to squeal and dance around like an excited preteen. It was a difficult task considering the fact that her long-time crush and object of her affections had asked her on a date only a number of days ago.

Granted, Ash still had something to learn about timing, but the simple fact of the matter was that Misty was too thrilled about the prospect to even care about such a triviality.

Her Pokémon – barring Gyarados – were clustered around the room in various areas, watching their trainer with a wide array of expressions. Misty picked up Psyduck and twirled the confused mallard around at arms' length. "He asked me out!" she exclaimed, unable to keep a hold on her enthusiasm.

As the redhead's bout of excitement carried on, she came to the conclusion that she should probably go shopping in one of Goldenrod's many department stores for a more appropriate outfit…nothing too outrageous or fancy of course, but something a bit nicer than what she usually wore.

After all, the first date was the foundation for everything that could, and hopefully would, come after. _Here's to hoping…_

-l-l-l-

Pikachu sat on the bed of Ash's room in the Pokémon Center, ears down, watching as his trainer paced back and forth. He made a small noise of worry, but Ash was too distracted by his own thoughts to pay it any heed.

"What was I _thinking_?" he mumbled, turning on his heel and striding the other way. "I don't know how to _date._ I should just call this whole thing off. Yeah…Misty'll understand, right?"

Pikachu shot him a look that clearly said, '_Do you even _know _her?'_ Ash chuckled nervously before resuming his pacing. The truth of the matter was that this situation was the first Ash could recall where plowing in headfirst with his normal brashness and take-on-the-world attitude was highly likely to backfire. The thought made him hesitate.

It was rather unsettling.

Almost as unsettling as Brock appearing out of thin air in the middle of the room, an empty frying pan in hand.

Pikachu, startled, instinctively unleashed a torrent of electricity which zapped both trainers. He stopped after several seconds, releasing an embarrassed noise when he saw the disheveled state of both humans. "Brock," Ash managed after a moment, "what are you doing here? How'd you even get here?"

"Mewtwo sent me…said you were in trouble and needed my help. So, who're we after? Lugia? Suicune?"

"Well, no. Actually…" he paused to scratch his head, unsure how to properly phrase what he wanted to say. "I've…kinda…already…caught all the Legendaries here."

"Oh…" Brock appeared almost disheartened at this revelation, his offensive stance slackening until the frying pan was held loosely in his hand, inches from the floor. "Well, what was the emergency, then?"

"Ah, _well_," Ash fidgeted, "I sorta…asked Misty out?" He cringed, half-expecting Brock to explode in raucous shouting, though in a good way or a bad way, he wasn't sure.

What he didn't expect was for Brock to just blink and say, "Oh."

"'Oh'?" the Frontier Brain echoed. "_'Oh'?! _That's all you can say?!"

Brock shrugged, finally placing the cooking implement on the bed next to Pikachu. "Congratulations?"

"_Brock!"_

The dark-skinned man laughed. "Well, what do you want me to say, Ash? Honestly, this has been a long time coming." He arched an eyebrow in mild curiosity. "Don't tell me _this_ is the big emergency?" When Ash didn't respond, Brock knew he had hit the nail on the head. "I don't understand what the issue is."

"I don't know how to _date_, Brock," Ash said, exasperated. "And Misty's very…" he gestured helplessly, "romantically aware."

"So you're nervous."

"…Something like that."

"It's okay to be nervous," Brock placated, moving the frying pan further back to sit on the bed. He chuckled to himself. "Man, when I went on my first date, I was – what?" he asked at Ash's dubious expression.

"When did you go on a date?"

"Most recently? Couple days ago. I actually – _what?_"

"Someone agreed to go out with you," Ash checked. "_You._" In the moment of disbelief the raven-haired trainer was currently experiencing, his own problem had been thrown by the wayside.

"I feel like I should be insulted," Brock muttered under his breath. Aloud, he posed, "Ash, where exactly do you think I go when I leave the island?"

"Business?" tried the other male. "Family vacations?"

"No, Ash," he sighed. "I go to Celadon…where I've been dating Erika." The Frontier Brain was rendered slack-jawed, absolutely thunderstruck by the admission. Even Pikachu was caught by surprise. "We just got engaged, actually," the breeder continued after a moment.

"…I…I don't understand," Ash managed weakly. "You hit on Daisy when we arrived in Cerulean…"

"Olds habit, y'know? Erika's aware of that little flaw. She's not happy about it, but she also knows that I wouldn't actually do anything to jeopardize our relationship. It's become less of a problem over time."

"How long has this been going on?"

Brock shrugged. "A couple years now. I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want to jinx it." Ash opened his mouth to ask something else, but the older man cut across him. "Look, I get that we should probably talk about this at some point, but right now we need to focus on _your_ issues."

Ash looked like he wanted to say more – the things Brock was telling him were rather difficult to wrap his head around – but at his friend's serious countenance, opted to let the words die on his tongue. If Brock had dating advice to give him (and Ash could barely _believe_ that that was what was about to happen), then perhaps it was better to listen to what his friend had to say. "Okay."

"Good," Brock nodded. "Now, what are you nervous about?"

"I already told you, I don't know anything about dating!"

Brock arched an eyebrow. "That's it? I figured you'd have doubts about ruining your friendship with Misty or something."

Ash shook his head, simultaneously waving his hand in a gesture meant to swat away the idea. "No. The way I see it is that being in a relationship wouldn't be too different from us hanging out like we've been doing, except for, you know, the other things boyfriends are supposed to do…which I don't really know anything about."

The breeder hummed thoughtfully as he mulled over the problem. "Okay," he began, "how about this. Your interaction with Misty won't be any different because you're of the mindset that talking and acting with her in a relationship will be similar to how you treat her as a friend, right? Well, just think of the date as an extension of that. Instead of a date, it's just two friends going out to do…whatever you're going out to do," he finished lamely.

"You think that'll actually work?"

"I don't see why not."

Ash remained skeptical. "And what happens if Misty expects something –" he gestured vaguely, distinctly uncomfortable with the words he was grasping for, "— _romantic_ of me."

"Then you follow her cues." The Frontier Brain looked at him with a blank expression, and Brock exhaled a breath of incredulity. "Unbelievable… Look Ash, just because the stereotypical relationship portrays the male figure as being at the helm doesn't mean that that dynamic works for everyone. Misty has more interpersonal experience than you do, and she knows it. But she's been looking forward to this moment for too long to push too hard, too fast. She knows that this is new to you, and I sincerely doubt she'll do anything to jeopardize what this could be. So if, _if_ she instigates something, just go with what you feel. There's nothing wrong with acting on your feelings."

"That's how I got into this mess in the first place," Ash muttered.

"And you probably shouldn't think of this so negatively."

The Frontier Brain took a deep breath and let it go. "You're right. I'm going to see this through, and what will happen, will happen." He tossed a grateful half-grin at his friend. "Thanks for the help, Brock."

Brock inclined his head in acknowledgement, smirking all the while. "That's what I'm here for, Ash. Now, maybe we should get you ready for your date."

"…You're taking way too much enjoyment out of this."

"You have no idea."

-l-l-l-

Ash waited downstairs in the lobby of the Pokémon Center for Misty to appear. With Brock's help, he had gotten dressed in something more 'date appropriate', though the outfit was, in all honesty, not much different from what he normally wore. A casual blue button-down shirt was buttoned over a black t-shirt, matched by a pair of tan khakis and his usual sneakers. The fact that he looked so normal had him questioning Brock's expertise, but then his older friend had pointed out that if Ash was trying to make the transition from platonic to romantic slow, starting out casually was the best way to start.

Even still, Ash felt a little naked without Pikachu perched on his shoulder. The small creature had opted to stay behind in the hotel room with Brock and relax from the weeks' worth of travel. Only habit had him walking around with half a dozen Pokéballs clipped to his belt.

"Ash?"

The Frontier Brain whirled at the voice and came face-to-face with Misty. He was somewhat relieved to find her dressed just as simply as him in a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a yellow blouse. Her shoulder-length, fiery hair was loose from its normal ponytail, leaving Ash momentarily stunned with how different the style was; the other instances she had done so during their journey seemed very distant in comparison to the current moment. He cleared his throat. "You, uh, look very pretty, Mist."

"Thanks." She gave him a brief once-over. "You look very…normal."

Ash pouted, more for effect than out of actual hurt. He wanted to try and break how tense he felt by getting an early start on making their outing feel like any other, normal get-together. "Aren't you supposed to say that I look handsome?"

Misty covered her mouth with the back of her hand, but the creases at the corners of her eyes belied her smile. "Maybe next time."

"I'll hold you to that."

"So," Misty prompted after a moment of silence, "where are we going?"

"Goldenrod apparently has one of the world's biggest movie theaters," Ash said, heading for the doors. "Cushy chairs, massive screen, buttery popcorn…thought we could go see the latest movie in true style." He pulled open the glass door of the Pokémon Center and leaned against it to hold it open, twisting his head to look back at her. "Interested?"

The redhead moved to go through the exit, gracing him with a grin as she passed. "I'm interested in whatever you've got to offer, Ketchum." She turned so she was walking backwards and called out to him, "Who knew you were such a gentleman?"

Ash laughed and jogged to catch up to his friend. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me," he informed her as he pulled even and slowed down.

Misty arched one ginger eyebrow. "Oh really?"

"Yep."

"Are you going to give me an example?" she asked when he didn't continue.

"After you didn't tell me I'm handsome? I don't think so."

Misty rolled her eyes. "You're going to hold a grudge? Fine, I concede. You look very handsome."

"See, now I don't think you're being sincere."

"Ash," she tried again, and the change in her tone caused him to look at her, "you're very handsome. Really."

He swallowed at how serious she looked, and the knowledge that their current outing was more than just friendly one made itself known once again. "Th-thanks." There was a brief pause before he admitted, "I had a crush on Gary's sister."

Misty blinked. "What?"

"When I was younger," he elaborated, "before Gary and I became rivals, I had a huge crush on his sister. She was pretty, and really kind…"

"What, is that all the criteria it takes for you to like someone?"

"No." Then he smirked. "_You're_ not all that kind."

Misty punched him in the arm. "Some girls would take offense to that, Ash."

"Hey, isn't it enough that I like you in spite of that?"

She batted her eyelashes playfully. "So you like me, huh?"

Ash opened his mouth to respond, but then stopped and considered his words. _I guess I did say that._ Still, the thought wasn't one that he was comfortable with musing over so early into their date. "Can we just…not talk about this right now?" he requested quietly.

Misty peered at him for a moment with curious blue-green eyes before nodding in tactful agreement. Given how long it had taken to get up to this point, the redhead was willing to not push beyond Ash's comfort zone in order to maximize the result of their outing.

They arrived at the Goldenrod Multiplex in short order. Heeding some last-minute advice Brock had given him, Ash allowed Misty to pick the movie before buying them a small bucket of popcorn to share; Brock had also advised against getting too much to snack on at the theater so that they didn't fill up before lunch. Ash didn't think he had much to worry about in that regard, given his seemingly bottomless pit of a stomach, but decided that it was better to listen to his older, more experienced friend than to dismiss his words as out-of-hand.

No matter how hard it was to believe that Brock had been dating for who-knew how long.

Ash only paid the movie half his attention (Misty had chosen some sort of flick with a romantic subplot that didn't really appeal to him, but he had already been warned that that was a possibility), focusing instead on how things were progressing so far. Brock had given him suggestions for things to do during the movie – the two more highly recommended options had been to hold Misty's hand or put his arm around her shoulders – but Ash wasn't entirely sold on enacting either idea. He wanted a date that would allow him to focus more on how well he and his best friend mingled together without worrying about making any overtly romantic gestures, to better determine whether or not he actually _wanted_ to become engaged in a relationship with Misty.

In some ways, he supposed it was a dangerous juggling act, trying to balance his feelings, Misty's feelings, and their interactions together, but hopefully the ends would justify the means. Misty had so far been less pushy with openly displaying how she felt about him, something which Ash found himself immensely grateful for. The less pressure he felt, the more likely he was to make the right decision.

After the movie ended, Ash led Misty to a simple delicatessen nearby. They sat down at a metal table outside, a blue- and white-striped umbrella providing shade from the sun. "So," Misty began, picking up a fry and dipping it in ketchup, "what else don't I know about you?"

Ash took a bite of his burger and then a sip of his soda, a thoughtful look upon his face. "I never told you why I didn't keep the League Champion title, did I?"

"Mmm…no, you didn't. I was always sort of curious about that, what with how gung-ho you were about it in our childhood, but after a while, I just forgot to ask. After you and Brock moved, you always seemed too busy with some new research to just sit down and catch up."

"In all fairness, researching the Legendary Pokémon took a _lot_ of time. But, for what it's worth, I'm sorry." He paused in his eating, letting his burger hang loose in his hand as he hung his head to hide his shame at his actions. "I've had it pointed out to me recently that I haven't been a very good friend."

"Ash, that's not –"

The Frontier Brain shook his head vigorously. "No, let me finish. Everything in my life has been about Pokémon…about traveling with them, raising them, battling them…looking for the next big adventure, always shooting for the goal of Pokémon Master. I took time off before I re-challenged all the Kanto Gym Leaders so I could better understand Pokémon, all so I could achieve my dream. But by the time I actually became the Champion, I knew that I didn't want to take over the position…it just wasn't going to be as fulfilling as I had built it up to be in my head. So I decided to let it go so that I could spend my life doing what I wanted; I could continue to battle by becoming a Frontier Brain, but I could also forge my own path."

Misty nodded slowly in understanding. Gym Leaders were active for approximately nine months of the year, from the time they reopened on the first of August to when the Indigo League competition began in late April. Barring special tournaments, the Champion really only battled once a year, at the end of the competition (either in a showcase amongst the Elite Four or against a challenger who made it past them). Unlike the Indigo League, though, the Battle Frontier ran year-round, as there was no equivalent to the Indigo League for the challengers to compete in after collecting all the Frontier Symbols.

Ash continued to talk. "I wanted to leave myself options for the future, so I wouldn't be stuck in a position I might eventually get tired of." He grinned humorlessly. "It's kind of ironic that, by not accepting the position of Champion in order to have a future, I actually closed off my future. I became so engrossed in my work that the people I considered my friends instead just became people I relied upon for data or knowledge."

"Like Sabrina."

He bobbed his head in agreement. "Yeah. And I just sort of lost interest in interacting with people around me. I never really thought of the consequences of what I was doing, and how it would affect my friends."

A heartbeat passed before Misty admitted quietly, "I always looked for you, you know."

"What?" Ash replied, confused.

"At the Pokémon League Summit," she clarified. "Every year, I hoped that you would show up, just so we could catch up and you could see me as someone other than 'Misty the tomboy', or 'Misty the best friend'. I guess I thought that, somehow, I could get you to change how you thought of me. Kinda silly, huh?"

Ash wasn't sure what possessed him to do it, especially since he was consciously trying not to, but his hand reached across the table and grabbed Misty's. The Cerulean City native seemed surprised by the gesture, for she looked up at Ash with shock written in her blue-green eyes. "Well, we're here now, aren't we?" he posed with a small smile.

His friend's face relaxed until her expression mirrored his. "Yeah, I guess we are."

"And…maybe next time…I'll see you at the Summit," he continued, a little unsurely. "Or, you know…maybe we can go together?"

Misty squeezed his hand, assuring him that his query wasn't in vain. "I'd really like that."

Ash coughed once and withdrew his hand to continue eating, still uncomfortable with doing something so out of his element. His body and his mouth had just gone through the motions without really consulting his brain; perhaps that was what Brock had been referring to when he mentioned listening to what he felt. "So," he tried, attempting to not focus on what had just happened, "how's the —"

_Ring-ring-ring, phone call, phone call!_

Misty couldn't help but laugh at the annoyed expression on Ash's face as his phone went off. "I still can't believe that's your ringtone."

"It's the only thing that's annoying enough to make me want to answer it, just so it'll stop," he explained. He placed it to his ear and said, "Yeah?"

Even across the table, Misty could hear Jessie's voice clearly on the other end. "Oi, twerp! Brock came back the other night, but now he's nowhere to be found. We've looked everywhere for him and –"

"Don't worry about him," Ash interrupted. "He's out here with me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm –"

"He's in Johto?" returned Jessie's incredulous voice. "How'd he get there in less than a day?"

"That's not important. Look, I'm kind of in the middle of a date here, so –"

"A DATE!?"

Ash yanked the phone away from his ear at the disbelieving yell. The ex-Team Rocket member volleyed off one question after another, causing the Frontier Brain to sigh in exasperation. "Bye Jessie," he said, hanging up in the middle of the older woman's rant. "Sorry about that," he offered Misty.

The redhead had a hand covering her mouth in an attempt to stifle her amusement. "No no, it's fine."

"No, it's not. If I didn't have to answer the phone on the off-chance that I'm needed for something…" He sighed again. "I don't know what this is," he conceded, motioning between himself and Misty, "and I don't think I'm very good at this type of thing, but if I'm going to give it a try, I want to give it my all, without any sort of…interruption."

_Ring-ring-ring, phone call, phone call!_

"_What?_" Ash growled into the phone.

This time, James' somewhat androgynous voice burst forth from the speaker. "Jessie just told me that you're on a date!" The purple-haired man sounded like he was practically sobbing. "What about the twerpette? How could you be so insensitive to her feelings?!"

"My date _is_ the twerpette…I mean Misty!"

James seemed to recover almost instantly. "Oh." There was a brief pause, followed by, "Put me on video so I can see this for myself."

"_Goodbye, James,_" Ash grit out, hanging up. "Sorry," he apologized, "_again_."

"Really, it's fine," Misty assured him. "It's actually a bit funny how much James cares about your romantic life."

"Yeah, well, I've never really given him anything to obsess over before. Plus, I think he's secretly always rooted for us to be…ah, together."

Misty laughed at that. "All those years following us…who would've guessed? Should I be insulted that we're still referred to as 'twerp' and 'twerpette', while Brock gets an actual name?"

Ash rolled his eyes. "No. Apparently it's just habit. Personally," he continued, leaning forward as if to divulge a particularly important secret, "I think they just respect Brock more."

"It's entirely possible," his friend agreed, nodding sagely. There was a beat of quiet before both burst into laughter. "They've come a long way, haven't they?" she asked, wiping a tear from her eye.

The Frontier Brain made a noise of agreement. "I think we all have. Which reminds me…I was going to ask how the gym life was treating you."

Misty hesitated before answering, "It's…okay."

"Just 'okay'?"

"It's just…not the life I imagined it would be. I do well in the battles, but maintaining the entire gym is time-consuming and difficult, and my sisters don't really help me. Even this," she said, gesturing around in reference to their entire journey so far, "is only possible because none of the gyms are really open during this time. I'm just…" she paused, considered her words, then pushed forward, "I'm just not as happy as I should be."

"And what would make you happy?" Ash prompted softly.

Misty bit back the immediate response of, '_Being with you'_. It was an extremely cheesy thing to admit aloud, and was more likely to jeopardize whatever was going on between her and Ash. Not to mention that she didn't really want to come off as some sort of clingy fangirl. "I want to be a master Water Pokémon trainer," she decided. "It was what I told you when we met, and it's still my goal. But taking care of the gym makes finding time to go out and catch new Pokémon a bit difficult."

"Well, maybe you should leave."

"ASH! I can't just leave! The Cerulean Gym is my home…what would happen to my sisters? Where would I even go?"

"Misty, calm down. I didn't mean to sound insensitive. But think about it like this: you're putting your concern for your sisters and the Cerulean Gym's reputation ahead of your own happiness. Is that really what you want? You don't have to respond," he advised when his friend opened her mouth, "it's just something for you to think about."

The redhead allowed Ash's words to wash over her. In a weird way, the raven-haired trainer had a point. When they had split apart after the Silver Conference, it had been because her sisters had wanted her to come back to take charge of the gym, allowing them to go do what they wanted while her happiness was sacrificed. Even now, Misty knew that she would have to return to her duties as the Cerulean Gym Leader before the Pokémon League Summit in order to prepare for the upcoming year of battles; Daisy, while the most proficient of the three remaining Sensational Sisters at battling, was still nowhere near her level. The gym record had reflected as such when Misty had left to travel with Ash and Brock the second time around.

It was a bit sad to realize that she had put her life on hold so she could take care of a place her sisters never seemed to fully appreciate.

The annoying ring of Ash's phone interrupted her musing. An irate expression on his face, he opened the phone to video so whoever was calling could see how irritated he was. "This had better be good," he warned.

Jessie's face took up the screen, though the image was shaking and the former Team Rocket member was clearly distracted by something off-screen. "We're under attack!" she shouted.

"What?!"

"Yanmega, SonicBoom! Seviper, Poison Tail!" James' far away cry of, 'Carnivine, Bullet Seed!' could be heard, and Ash saw his Bulbasaur edging away in the background, leaves flying from under the bulb on his back. "Team Rocket's attacking us! I don't know how long we can – Seviper, no!" she cried as the massive serpent soared past the screen.

Ash almost wanted to laugh at the irony of the ex-Rockets being attacked by Team Rocket, but a sudden wind had burst into existence alongside a deafening chopping sound. He and Misty looked up to find a black helicopter hovering above the street, a dozen Team Rocket agents descending upon their position. "Stay safe!" he yelled into the phone. "They're targeting us here, too!" He hung up and stood alongside his date as the grunts all pulled out Pokéballs. A slew of Golbat, Yanma, Grimer, Graveler, and Houndour – among some other Pokémon – appeared in flashes of light.

One of the grunts stepped forward. "Ash Ketchum, give us your Pokéballs and no one will get hurt."

Ash stared at the small army before him. He was tired of being sucked into the plots of crime syndicates, tired of being targeted by Team Rocket for his Pokémon (no matter that it hadn't been tried in about five years), and tired of interruptions on his first true date. He had wanted everything to go smoothly to see if Misty was someone he could actually picture himself with, to start to repair the mistakes he had made in his life by ignoring his friends…to see if he could actually succeed in something other than Pokémon. Jessie and James' interruptions he could forgive, as they were more concerned than anything else, but this?

Team Rocket was going to pay.

In one smooth motion, he unclipped two Pokéballs from his belt and tossed them out. "If you want them so badly, come and get them!"

Twin roars forced all the Rockets to pause as the capsules opened to reveal Raikou and Entei. Their leader recovered first. "Push forward!" he shouted, and a cacophony of sounds echoed around them as all the Pokémon surged towards the Legendary Beasts.

"Raikou, Discharge! Entei, Fire Spin!"

Golden-yellow lightning shot out and struck half of the airborne Pokémon; a handful of them dropped out of the sky, the Electric-type attack too strong for them. Meanwhile, columns of fire rose around several of the Grimer, trapping them within an inferno. A Houndour expelled a Flamethrower at Entei, who immediately countered with one of its own.

Ash threw a protective hand out to the side when Misty looked like she was going to join the battle. "Ash, let me help," she insisted.

"No. Raikou, Thunder Fang!" The Thunder Pokémon leaped into the air to meet a Golbat's Leech Life, zapping the large bat into submission. "They're after me," he continued. "Team Rocket always seems to show up when I'm in the middle of something important…gym battles, Battle Frontier challenges…_this_…Entei, hit those Houndour with Eruption!"

Entei roared, causing pillars of fire to explode from underneath all the Houndour. Howls filled the air as the canine creatures were overwhelmed by the Volcano Pokémon's flames. Ash's eyes flitted to the approaching form of a Graveler curled in on itself in a Rollout attack. "Entei, look out!" The large creature attempted to stop its attack on the Houndour and move away, but the Frontier Brain could tell that it wasn't going to be quick enough.

A blast of pressurized water slammed into the Graveler's side, sending the boulder of a Pokémon careening into a Raticate. Ash glanced at Misty, who stood with a Pokéball in hand and Politoed at her side. "It was my date, too," she informed him.

"…Fair enough." They started to synchronize their attacks, Politoed taking out the Rock-types that Entei and Raikou were less effective against while the Electric-type attacked the aerial opponents and its fellow Legendary Beast targeted the grounded creatures.

After several minutes of beating on the Rockets' Pokémon, the leader hollered, "Fall back! We got what we came for, fall back!" All the criminals withdrew their Pokémon and retreated back into the helicopter, leaving Ash and Misty to watch them, confused.

As the whirlybird flew away, Ash and Misty recalled their respective companions. "What just happened?"

"No idea," Ash admitted, pulling out his phone, "but I'm about to find out." His fingers moved along the phone to return Jessie's call, but the device went off before he could find the number he was looking for. "Hello?"

"It's Brock," came his friend's voice. The older male sounded a bit out of breath. "The Pokémon Center was attacked by Team Rocket. By the time I found out, it was too late. The weird thing is that they only took one of your Pokéballs."

"Just one?" He had left a handful of his Pokémon at the Pokémon Center, so it was strange for them to leave the rest behind…

"Yeah," Brock confirmed. When the Frontier Brain didn't say anything, he prompted, "Ash?"

"Sorry, just thinking. Look, we'll be there soon, okay?" He didn't even give the breeder time to respond, instead hanging up and dialing Jessie. She assured him that they were all okay, but they weren't able to prevent Team Rocket from sneaking into the lab and creating a mess of his research notes. Further inspection revealed that they had also made off with another of his Pokéballs.

Ash ended the call and sighed wearily. Two of his Pokémon kidnapped by Team Rocket…two Pokémon that, given the attack he and Misty had just fended off, they had thought he might have on his person. The knowledge was rather foreboding, as it narrowed down the list of possible Pokémon he might've just lost to the villainous organization. "I'm sorry," he said, turning to Misty. It felt like that was all he was telling his best friend today. "Something bad has happened, and I need to figure out what's going on. Can we just…put this on hold? Temporarily?"

Misty nodded in understanding, though her hung head spoke volumes about what she thought. "Yeah, sure…"

"Hey," Ash murmured, and Misty lifted her head to meet his gaze. "I'm not giving up on this, if that's what you're afraid of. I just…need time." He reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it. "Okay?"

She smiled tentatively at him before leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. "Yeah, okay. Baby steps, right?"

"R-right." Stunned, it took him a moment before he managed to say, "We should go meet up with Brock."

"It'll be good to see him again. Oh, and for what it's worth, I had a really good time on our date."

Ash spared her a small, genuine smile. "I'm glad."

_I've waited a long time for this to happen,_ Misty thought as they hurried towards the Pokémon Center. _I can wait a little longer._

-l-l-l-

_Spear Pillar, Sinnoh_

A mile above the peaks of the Spear Pillar floated an enormous airship; it was shaped like a flying saucer, steel grey with a maroon stripe rimming the edge, with a diameter half a mile long. Multiple propulsion engines were affixed to the bottom of the ship, all set into pivots which allowed them to swivel in any direction; half of them were activated, expelling streams of hot air and flames to keep the airship hovering in place.

Inside the floating fortress was a room where a man cast in shadows sat on a veritable throne. Surrounding him were four projections of his employees, a large picture of Giovanni before him and the images of Archie, Maxie, and Charon placed behind his chair. A Pokéball transporter was located beside him, and as he watched, a second Pokéball appeared in a flash of white energy. "Hm, excellent work, Giovanni," he stated, picking up the sphere and weighing it in his hand. "I now have the first two pieces of my collection."

"And our arrangement?" Team Rocket's leader prompted. "I told my men to _only_ target those two Pokémon because you promised me Mewtwo."

"That I did," the man agreed, "and you will receive him when my agenda is completed." He swiveled his throne to face his remaining employees, ignoring the scowl on Giovanni's face. "Speaking of which, I would like a status report on everyone else's progress."

"My apologies for Team Aqua's delay," stated Archie. His voice seemed to echo around the steel walls of his surroundings, as if he was housed within a relatively confined space. "Given the depth of the area our target roams, pinpointing its location has proven more difficult than previously expected, and thus my previous estimation has been thrown off-track. We are closing in on it, but there is no definitive time that we might catch it."

"Team Magma has had similar issues," Maxie affirmed. "The drilling process has been more slow-going than previously anticipated, especially since we're trying to avoid drawing undue attention. I guess that we'll be here for another week or two, but that is a rough estimate."

Charon adjusted his glasses. "I have made a breakthrough with regard to the ancient relics needed to capture Team Galactic's targets. My team is currently following up on additional research which may lead to the location of the items we require. I, too, would prefer not to make any time estimation on how long it will take to secure the targets."

"Very well," nodded the man. "I find your progress acceptable. I have waited a long time to get to this point…I can be patient a while longer yet. When you achieve your objectives, contact me immediately." He disconnected the video streams linking him to the leaders of the infamous crime syndicates before standing up and walking away.

The connecting room was massive in comparison to the control room he had just come from, lights flickering on to illuminate it as he strode from one end to the other. Two pedestals popped up from a mechanism in the floor as he approached, small hemispheres gouged out of their centers to provide resting places for Pokéballs. He deposited both spheres Giovanni had been tasked with acquiring in the pedestals, and force fields leaped into existence as he withdrew his hands. A smirk formed on his lips at how well his plan was succeeding so far. "Celebi…the time-traveling Guardian of the Forest, controller of greenery…manipulator of life…

"Ho-oh…Guardian of the Skies, reviver of the Legendary Beasts…master of death…"

He made a quarter-turn to the right and moved so he was standing before the room's wall, where a large frame hung. Matted behind the glass, and ridiculously small in comparison to the size of the frame was a gleaming card – shifting colors from blue to purple to indigo – with an intricate, ancient design of Mew on it. His eyes shifted from the first piece of his collection down to the glass case beneath it, which would lead to the final piece of his medley.

Inside it was a simple wooden flute, three feathers – white, violet, and blue – attached to a bulbous portion near the mouthpiece. "Life and death…land and sea…time and space…and the Azure Flute. The keys to unlocking the greatest masterpiece of my collection…"

Lawrence III's smirk was reflected back in the glass containing the Azure Flute. "Soon enough, Arceus, you will be _mine_."

-l-l-l-

**Author's Note: **Yeah, this was a much bigger pain than I thought. I just…couldn't find the inspiration to write. Finally found the time and energy to pick it up again, so I hope it came out okay. As for how the Rockets knew which Pokéballs to take, I imagine there's some sort of scanner or something that Pokémon Centers have, which Ash also has to heal his Pokémon (through Brock's Blissey).

Unfortunately, I have to announce a temporary hiatus on this story. Embarrassingly enough, I don't have the rest of this planned out chapter-wise. I need to actually sit down and plot out the following chapters. I'm hoping to not be gone as long as this last break was, but I make no promises (this last year of school is, well, schooling me so far), so please don't ask when the next chapter will come out. HOWEVER, if you like my writing, I will be putting out a short Pokeshipping story soon-ish. Hopefully, that will whet your appetite for some romance.

Also, thank you everyone for the amazing comments! I went back and looked them all over (because it's been awhile), and I really appreciate everything you all said. If I didn't respond to a question you had, I apologize; please, leave another review on this chapter and I _promise_ I'll get back to you!


	13. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

_Goldenrod City, Johto_

**Day 43 – June 19****th**

Ash tried his hardest not to burst through the doors of the Pokémon Center, knowing that it wouldn't do anyone any good to act rashly. That didn't prevent his pace from being hurried as he yanked open the glass door and rushed inside, Misty on his heels. Brock was waiting in the lobby with Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny, Pikachu on his shoulder and a troubled expression on his face. "Brock!" called the Frontier Brain. He placed his hands on his knees as he tried to recover his breath, Misty coming over and using his shoulder as a support while she did the same. "What happened?"

Brock's frown turned towards his friend; Pikachu took the opportunity to leap from the taller male's shoulder to Ash's, licking his trainer on the cheek. "Apparently, a bunch of Team Rocket members attacked Nurse Joy while she was working in the back. They snuck into the care rooms and left not long after. By the time I got down here, they were already gone." He shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry, Ash…if I'd been a little bit faster, maybe I could've stopped them."

"Nothing you could've done, Brock," Ash assured him, straightening up. "They were fully prepared for us."

"Us?" questioned the breeder. He looked between his two friends. "Did they attack you, too?"

"Yeah, but I'll explain later. Nurse Joy?" he probed. "Sorry to interrupt, but I was the one Team Rocket stole from. If I could see…"

"Oh, yes, of course," nodded the pink-haired woman. "Please, right this way."

Ash, Misty, and Brock followed the nurse into the corridor of back rooms. "This is where we keep the Pokémon belonging to some of the more influential people who come by," Nurse Joy explained, gesturing towards one of the doors. When they passed through it, she walked over to a case and stood over it, expression mournful. "This is where your Pokémon were being kept…it's horrible, what Team Rocket did. Your poor Pokémon…"

The Frontier Brain nodded distractedly, looking over the assembled spheres still in the case. "Thanks, Nurse Joy," Misty murmured, "I think we can handle it from here." After the older woman left, Misty approached Ash and placed a hand on his shoulder, uttering his name in a quiet voice. When he indicated that he was listening, the redhead prompted, "What're you thinking?"

He picked up one of the Pokéballs and opened it, revealing the sleeping form of his Noctowl. As the bird was returned to his capsule, Ash murmured, "Don't wanna jump to conclusions." Cycling through the remaining spheres, he released, recalled, and clipped to his belt Heracross, Pidgeot, Typhlosion, and Meganium, mouth creasing further down into a frown with each one. The last ball contained Feraligatr, and after going through the same motions with him, Ash turned to his two friends and let out a despondent sigh. "They took Celebi. I figured that was what happened, but…"

There was a moment of silence – a period that could almost be considered mourning – as the three tried not to imagine the horrors a Pokémon as rare and gentle as Celebi would experience in Team Rocket's clutches.

It was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Mewtwo. _[How fortunate that you're all here. Come, we must hurry back]_

"Hurry back?" Brock repeated.

"What about our stuff?" Misty protested.

_[It will come along] _Mewtwo assured them. His eyes glowed a luminescent blue, and then the quartet were back on the Battle Island, their belongings on the ground beside them.

Ash shot the Psychic-type a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

Mewtwo was hunched over slightly, in a position that, if he were human, would've imitated someone trying to catch his breath. _[Fine, thank you]_

"Oi, twerp, you're back!"

The three adults looked over to find Jessie and James running up to them, Ash's Bulbasaur and Wartortle not far behind. "What happened?" Ash prompted when they were within normal speaking distance.

"Team Rocket came," Jessie explained, fiddling with her long magenta hair. "We tried to hold them off, but there were just too many."

James took over. "A couple of them got past us and snuck into your lab. When they came back out, everyone just left. We haven't been inside yet."

Ash turned to glare at Mewtwo. "Why didn't you help them?"

_[Contrary to popular belief, I am not omnipotent]_ retorted the Psychic-type. His telepathic voice carried a slight tinge of defensiveness. _[I was not in the immediate vicinity at the time, and thus was not available to assist. However, I doubt my intervention would have changed much…Team Rocket created me, and it is entirely possible that their members are aware of our collusion, and thus have devised a method to…incapacitate me. I would prefer to not take that risk]_

The Frontier Brain buried his forehead in the palm of his hand, frustration evident in his posture. "…You're right," he breathed at length. "I shouldn't blame you…sorry."

_[Apology accepted]_

"It's just…so frustrating!" he growled. "That they can just come here while we're away and do what they want!" Misty placed a soothing hand on his shoulder, and the raven-haired trainer took another deep breath to calm himself. He tossed her a grateful twitch of his lips; the action didn't go unnoticed, provoking Jessie and James to exchange glances and enter into a whispered conversation with Brock. "Alright…let's see what damage they did."

Everyone followed Ash towards the Battle Island's living quarters, through the doors and down to the basement, where Team Rocket had apparently infiltrated.

The laboratory was a mess. Ash's desk had been overturned, spewing office supplies and his desk lamp onto the floor. The bookshelves where he and Brock kept their notes and various tomes relevant to the Legendary Pokémon, breeding, and Pokémon care were still standing, though papers were strewn everywhere. Surprisingly enough, most of the Pokéballs remained untouched, though the healing pod that they used only had one sphere settled in its grooves instead of the two the Frontier Brain had expected. Ash picked it up and gripped it, sheer instinct telling him that it was Charizard's. _So…Ho-oh, too…_

_That_ was a truly unfortunate occurrence. Ho-oh hadn't revealed itself to humanity because it had never seen true understanding between Pokémon and humans. Now that the Guardian of the Skies was within Team Rocket's grasp…

Ash was afraid to consider the possible ramifications.

His eyes moved over to find James gripping a fistful of paperwork. "Stop!" he snapped, and when the purple-haired man froze with a guilty expression, he sighed. "Sorry. It's just…everything's organized in a very specific way. Kinda. Look, if you guys could just work on the other stuff, I'll take care of this."

James and Brock moved to fix up the desks, but a blue glow encased them. _[Perhaps you're better off helping elsewhere]_ Mewtwo suggested, maneuvering the workstations with telekinesis. Both men nodded and left, Jessie not far behind.

Only Misty remained to help Ash, bending down on hands and knees and silently taking papers from him as he collected and organized them into the appropriate stacks. They worked quietly for over an hour, not even noticing when Mewtwo left, the silence only broken by Ash's occasional murmuring of 'okay' or 'done' as he finished putting together specific documents.

By the end of it all, Misty was rather impressed with the collection of data Ash had. For being as impetuous and excitable as he had been in their youth, it was rather surprising to see that her friend had matured enough to be able to read and write so extensively. Most of the shelves were filled with paperwork, books, and maps, organized almost meticulously by region and Pokémon type. "Wow…" she breathed, taking it all in.

Ash was busy muttering to himself, running his fingers through and along the spines of binders, books, and leaflets. "Damn…"

"What is it?"

He sighed, scratching the back of his head with one hand unsurely. "They took a bunch of my research notes. Everything I had on Celebi, Ho-oh, Groudon, Kyogre, Dialga, Palkia, and…Jirachi?"

"That's…a lot."

Ash shook his head. "Not really. Well, I mean, yeah, but…" He turned back to the bookshelves. "Despite everything, I don't really have a lot of information about a lot of the Legendary Pokémon. A lot of it is just speculation – mythology, accounts of some friend of a friend…guesswork based on what I could remember of our travels. Well, my travels, anyway," he amended, thinking back to how Misty hadn't been around for Hoenn or Sinnoh. "And then…it just doesn't make sense.

"Team Rocket's always operated in Kanto and Johto. Their interest in Celebi and Ho-oh isn't too unusual. But Groudon and Kyogre…Dialga and Palkia…the only people interested in them would be…" Brown eyes went wide as the idea hit him, his mouth morphing into an 'o' of horror. "…We gotta go. Now."

"Where?" Misty asked, following him as he rushed upstairs and outside.

"Hoenn," he responded, calling for Mewtwo before he had even exited the lab. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

-l-l-l-

_Route 124, Hoenn_

**Day 50 – June 26****th**

It took a week to get from Vermillion City – where Mewtwo had said he could manage to teleport them – to Lilycove City, simply because of the distance between Kanto and Hoenn, even going on a high-speed ship. Ash had remained tense throughout the majority of the journey, and Misty and Brock were both smart enough to not bother him more than necessary. The idea that Team Rocket was working with or for Teams Magma, Aqua, and/or Galactic – or, potentially even worse, expanding their territory into Hoenn and Sinnoh of their own accord – was enough to keep all three adults wary of what lay ahead.

And right now, what laid ahead of them was a growing storm front, great grey clouds looming overhead like the sea's personal umbrella.

It was what had made finding a ride out onto the sea routes that comprised the area between the cities of Lilycove, Mossdeep, and Sootopolis so difficult. Few captains were willing to brave a brewing storm the likes of the one they were riding into.

Fortunately, they had come across an adventurous helmswoman by the name of Isabel who had been willing to take them out on the waters. Misty had originally suggested taking Gyarados out, as they had on the journey to get to the Whirl Islands, but Ash had shot that down, stating that they needed the appropriate equipment.

A navy blue head of hair poked out from the cabin of the craft they were on. "Better hurry up!" Isabel announced. "Gear's below deck, we're almost there!"

Ash turned to give his two companions a reassuring grin, though it appeared somewhat sickly. "You know, you guys can stay up here if you want."

Misty huffed indignantly. "And let you go down there on your own? Are you crazy?"

Brock clapped him on the shoulder. "We're not going anywhere, man."

Ash's grin adopted a bit more gratitude. "Thanks, guys… Well, guess we better suit up, then."

After twenty minutes, all three of them were back on the top deck, outfitted in wetsuits and scuba gear. Ash found his eyes wandering over Misty's body, the skintight suit accenting her swimmer's build. It wasn't the first time during their journey he'd found himself focusing on his best friend's physique, though now that he and Misty were…well, _something,_ he guessed…it felt less indecent to be doing so.

Then again, it was possible that Misty wouldn't see it that way – women were strange creatures, the redhead especially so at times – and with a confrontation upcoming, the Frontier Brain couldn't afford to be distracted. Tearing his gaze away, he tried to review all he could remember from his research notes as they approached their destination.

Kyogre was one of Hoenn's creators, in a sense; the Sea Basin Pokémon had risen from the ocean thousands of years ago and served as a counterbalance to Groudon's expansion of the lands. Eventually, the push and pull between the two Legendary Pokémon had reached a climax, causing a cataclysmic battle that had lasted for days. It was rumored that the battle had ended only when Rayquaza had descended from the ozone layer and interfered. After that, all three Legendaries had gone their separate ways, practically fading into mythology as the years passed.

Ash, however, knew that they existed, if only because he'd been witness to separate battles involving all three super-ancient Pokémon at different points in time.

All other things aside, though, the history of Hoenn's weather trio was intriguing…perhaps a bit prone to fallacies, but intriguing nonetheless. Ash didn't quite believe that Groudon and Kyogre had created Hoenn; both land and water had to exist in order for the Continent and Sea Basin Pokémon to have places to live, after all. But it was entirely possible that the battle between the two Legendaries had altered the landscape of Hoenn, either by shifting the mainland's coastline and landmass, or by creating and/or destroying the sea routes and islands that were between and comprised of Sootopolis, Mossdeep, and Ever Grande City.

According to legend, the Red and Blue Orbs had come into existence around the end of Groudon and Kyogre's battle. They had been collected and protected by an unknown family throughout the generations, artifacts rumored to be able to tame the two mighty Pokémon.

Ash had seen the two orbs in action in his previous confrontation with Teams Aqua and Magma, and the amount of control their wielders had over their respective Pokémon was debatable. The point was moot, however, in that both treasures had disappeared shortly after the confrontation had ended, leaving no trace behind.

But if Teams Rocket, Aqua, and/or Magma were truly after Kyogre and Groudon, Ash didn't have the slightest clue what they were planning to do, especially without the orbs.

"This is as close as I can get!" Isabel shouted. "I'll idle around here for a bit, but if it gets too bad, I might have to turn back!"

"We'll be fine, thanks for the lift!" Ash called back. He looked over at his friends. "Ready?" When both nodded, he settled the breathing apparatus of his scuba gear over his mouth and gave them a thumbs-up. Then they all tumbled backwards over the boat, landing with a splash in the frigid water.

The cold seeped through his wetsuit and into his bones; it was a bad omen of things to come, though Ash tried to retain an optimistic outlook. Moving sluggishly in the water, his hand grappled for the belt of Pokéballs tied around his waist, noticing Misty and Brock doing the same.

Since Kyogre's lair was most likely to be deep in the ocean, all three trainers had decided to bring along only Water-types. Misty, unsurprisingly, didn't have an issue with it, but Ash felt woefully underprepared for anything and everything that could happen. Trainers who specialized had one or two glaring weaknesses, and the Frontier Brain missed having Pikachu by his side; due to the potential danger, not to mention that mixing electricity and water was a _bad_ idea, the yellow rodent had been left on the boat with Isabel.

In a flash, Wartortle was bobbing beside him in the water; next to him, he could see the forms of Swampert and Staryu appear beside their trainers. Grabbing ahold of the Turtle Pokémon's shell, Ash signaled for them to go down.

All three Water-type Pokémon dove deep, their trainers all latched tightly on and kicking their flippers to assist in the swim. With the growing storm clouds overhead and the pressure of the ocean's darkness surrounding them, it was hard to believe that it was actually the middle of the afternoon.

Ash felt like the silence was even more foreboding, the calm before the (literal) storm.

The problem was that the ocean was so vast that Kyogre could be virtually _anywhere._ Searching Routes 124 through 130 seemed the most likely maneuver to get results, but that was still a lot of territory to cover, not to mention the fact that he was probably racing against Team Aqua (or Team Rocket), who already had a head-start. Truthfully, Ash was banking on the fact that the challenge the Legendary Pokémon had presented him would be enough motivation for Kyogre to appear before him, rather than searching the seven seas for the Sea Basin Pokémon. There was honestly no telling how long _that_ expedition could take.

Ash, Misty, and Brock put a bit of distance between them, expanding their range to better scan their surroundings for any inkling of Kyogre. The Sea Basin Pokémon's girth was large enough that it could travel to great depths and make a home in some deep grotto that would require extensive searching to find. If any of them found an opening large enough to potentially fit the Water-type Legendary, they'd explore it.

They moved slowly through the underwater for what Ash guessed to be an hour, only a couple of Water-type Pokémon breaking the monotony of their exploration. The Frontier Brain was beginning to wonder if their exercise wasn't a futile one, despite knowing how long the expedition could take. Pods of Wailord were known for being able to dive 10,000 feet in one breath; Kyogre could probably accomplish _at least_ the same feat, and there was a limit to how far the three humans and their Pokémon could go with scuba equipment. Granted, it hadn't been all that long, but they could waste days trying to find a creature that might not even want to be found.

He wasn't sure if it was impatience or worry that had him so riled up, but he tried to calm himself; neither was conducive to the task at hand.

Wartortle's fluffy white ears twitched, and suddenly there was a massive rush of water and noise. Schools of aquatic Pokémon – Carvanha, Sharpedo, Luvdisc, Remoraid, Mantine – swam past the trio, heading for the direction opposite of their swim path.

A feeling of trepidation passed through Ash as he realized the Water-types were moving away from the growing storm front. He waved his arm at his friends to hurry forward, kicking his flippers harder to help propel Wartortle through the water.

It didn't take too long to find the disturbance, though maneuvering around a bloom of Tentacool and Tentacruel held them up slightly. All three trainers stopped short at the sight before them, Ash's hands clenching into fists.

A gigantic metal submarine was idling underwater, a veritable wall of Water-type Pokémon – Sharpedo and Walrein, mostly, with a handful of others interspersed throughout – both protecting the vessel and attacking Kyogre at the behest of a platoon of Team Aqua members. The Sea Basin Pokémon was moving sluggishly in the water, and Ash wasn't sure whether it was from the Walreins' ice attacks or the Tentacruels' poison.

Ash gestured for Wartortle to enter the fray, and the Turtle Pokémon sped forward with a Skull Bash. One of the grunts apparently noticed him, for he pointed in the trio's general direction, and a Wailmer intercepted Wartortle's attack. Both Misty and Brock sent their Pokémon into battle, but several more opponents stood against them, and Ash noticed that they were vastly outnumbered.

He opened up the Pokéballs containing Feraligatr and Crawdaunt, hoping that additional forces would give either them or Kyogre some leverage, but the effort was for naught. Lacking the ability to command his Pokémon underwater, as well as being numerically disadvantaged, had left the trio on the wrong side of the fight. More Team Aqua grunts exited the submersible and brought out their own Pokémon, while several more proceeded to cast nets out over the Sea Basin Pokémon, tangling its fins and tail. In short order, the Legendary Pokémon was subdued and hooked up to the submarine, and Ash could only watch helplessly as Team Aqua towed it away.

A hand on his arm jerked him out of his melancholy, and Ash snapped back to see Misty pointing to the surface, where Brock was already heading. The Frontier Brain started kicking upwards, Feraligatr coming up beneath him and helping him out. He broke the surface and whipped off his goggles and breather, allowing the torrential rain to pelt his face. Wartortle and Crawdaunt popped up a moment later. "Damn it! We were too late!"

Misty and Brock exchanged worried glances before the redhead prompted, "What do you think their plan is? They didn't even capture Kyogre in a Pokéball, just…took it away…"

Ash looked up at the sky, which was now an ominous black. There was a flash of lightning, and the trainer thought he caught a brief glimpse of a thin, green…something…before it was swallowed up by the darkness. The rain that poured down from above began to cease, and the blanket of angry clouds started to thin out. "Dunno," he responded, recalling Crawdaunt and Wartortle before locking his arms under Feraligatr's trademark maw, "but it can't be anything good." He turned his gaze to his friends. "Let's get back to the ship and have Isabel take us back to the mainland. We've got a long ways to go."

-l-l-l-

_Jagged Pass, Hoenn_

**Day 65 – July 10****th**

Handkerchief tied around his mouth to filter out the soot that fell persistently from Mt. Chimney's peak, Ash tried to find purchase against the rocks and boulders that littered the aptly-named Jagged Pass. Due to the steepness of the trail, the climb was far more treacherous than the one they'd taken from Kindle Road to Mt. Ember in Kanto, and while Mt. Chimney was considered a dormant volcano by scientists, the rough hike combined with the heat pooled in the volcano's core made the trek an uncomfortable one.

Not to mention the constant tremors that threatened to send the trio tumbling down the mountain.

Pikachu's paws dug into his shoulder as another quake shook the volcano. Ash spread his legs apart to better retain his equilibrium, turning his head just slightly to peek behind him. Both Misty and Brock – also sporting makeshift cloth masks – were stabilizing themselves against nearby boulders, waiting for the tremors to pass. Ash couldn't say with certainty what was causing the convulsions, but he had a good guess.

Team Magma had gotten to Groudon before he could, and it was fighting back against its would-be captors.

It made the necessity of reaching the Continent Pokémon all the greater; the Frontier Brain refused to fail Groudon like he had its water-based counterpart.

When the tremors faded away, Ash asked his friends, "Everyone okay?"

"I think we're good," Brock assured him.

"It feels like they're getting worse," Misty commented.

Privately, Ash agreed, though he didn't want to admit as such out loud. He made a noncommittal sound, choosing to return to the task of ascending Jagged Pass.

In truth, searching for Groudon was only slightly less tasking than trying to find Kyogre. While the area the Continent Pokémon was likely to live in promoted comparably less seeking – a volcano simply seemed to be the most obvious choice in comparison to other regions of Hoenn – the interior of Mt. Chimney wasn't exactly accessible from the outside by conventional means.

What they were looking for, Ash had no idea, but he figured he'd know it once he saw it. If Team Magma could get to where the Legendary Pokémon was hiding, than he could, too.

The Frontier Brain hoisted himself up onto the next ledge, Pikachu jumping off his shoulder and staring down the side of the mountain at their progress. Straightening up, Ash heaved a sigh of exertion and used his forearm to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He reached into his pocket and opened a Pokéball, revealing Sceptile, chewing on his ever-present twig. "Make sure I don't fall, alright?" When the Forest Pokémon nodded, Ash turned to stare down the cliff face, extending a hand down as the Grass-type's tri-clawed hand gripped at his belt. "Need a hand?"

Misty looked up and smiled at him, clasping at his arm. "If you're offering."

With some effort, he managed to pull the redhead up to his ledge. He considered cracking a joke about how much work it took, but then decided against it; friend-Misty wouldn't take an underhanded comment about her weight lightly, so girlfriend-Misty – or whatever they were – would probably appreciate it even less. Even without any experience in the field of romance, Ash knew instinctively that there were some lines he just wasn't supposed to cross.

_I wonder if there's a book of guidelines somewhere…?_

Brock handed him a water bottle, advising, "We need to stay hydrated." Ash took it with a nod of thanks, unscrewing the cap and drinking his fill. "Not for nothing, Ash, but do you know what we're looking for?"

The Frontier Brain gulped down a swig of liquid and released an 'ah' of satisfaction. "An entrance," he said, "some sort of opening or path that'll lead to the inside." He looked at his Pokémon. "Can you two scout ahead a bit?"

Both creatures took off with a nod, Sceptile leaping to the higher ledges as Pikachu began to explore the closer areas. Ash sighed, an expression of worry overcoming his features. "We really need to hurry…I'm afraid of what these tremors mean."

Misty and Brock shot each other glances, their faces mirroring his own troubled visage. "You think Groudon's in trouble?" probed the redhead.

Ash hesitated before shrugging. "It's possible. But," he continued, "if it is, then that must mean there's a way inside that we're missing."

"Pikapi!"

Three heads turned to where the yellow rodent was sniffing around some bushes on a ledge above them, his ears pricked. "Found something?" Ash called to his friend. At the Electric-type's affirming cry, the Frontier Brain grinned. "Great. Sceptile!" The Forest Pokémon returned from scouting out the heights of Mt. Chimney, grabbing his trainer's extended hand and pulling him up to Pikachu's level with ease.

As Sceptile helped Misty and Brock up, Ash stepped through the bushes Pikachu was guarding and found a hole almost ten feet in diameter staring him in the face; a flat trail curving down and away from their position led to the entrance. "Well, that's gotta be it," he muttered. "You guys ready?"

"Mm-hm."

"Yep."

The raven-haired trainer thanked Sceptile and returned him to his Pokéball. "Then let's go."

They took off down the tunnel at a brisk pace, Pikachu's red cheeks sparking slightly to produce a luminescent glow to see by. The path sloped gently downwards, and twice the trio was forced to stop and regain their equilibrium against the walls as quakes shook the mountain. "It definitely feels like the tremors are getting stronger," Misty murmured, waiting for the shaking to pass.

"We've gotta be getting closer," Ash agreed. "I just don't understand why it would take so long for Team Magma to get to Groudon…they've had _at least_ a couple weeks' head start on us…"

"This rock isn't natural," Brock stated. His hands were splayed against the carved out surface of the tunnel, examining it with critical eyes. "At least, in the sense that it doesn't belong here. Normal volcanic rock isn't this roughly-grained…and it feels pretty tightly packed, almost like it's been set up as a defensive measure. Even modern-day technology would have a tough time digging through rock formed in this manner."

"Brock…you think that Groudon…_created_ this place?"

Ash nodded his own agreement with the breeder's assessment. "Groudon was rumored to have created Hoenn's continent, it wouldn't surprise me too much to find out it created Mt. Chimney as a place to hide away over the years. One of many," he corrected, thinking about the first time the Continent Pokémon had been captured by Team Aqua. Groudon could probably move through the world's crust and mantle – slowly, perhaps – and thus could resituate itself among different hiding spots throughout Hoenn. "C'mon," he suggested when the quaking stopped, "let's keep moving."

As they descended further down the tunnel, washes of heat accompanied the tremors that unbalanced the trio. Ash blinked sweat out of his eyes and braced himself as another quake hit, a thunderous roar echoing around them. Behind him, Misty gave a short yelp, and the Frontier Brain turned around in time to catch the redhead as she tumbled forward. Quietly, he asked, "You okay?" At her affirming nod, he helped her with her balance and graced her with a half-grin. Then they were off again.

It only took another minute for them to reach a large chamber filled with the cries of battle. Multitudes of Team Magma members surrounded a lava pit that Groudon sat in, a plethora of Pokémon standing obediently by their sides. To Ash's eyes, it looked like they had prepared for the battle against the Continent Pokémon, foregoing most of their usual Fire-types and training up groups of Cacturne, Claydol, and Vibrava, though a number of Houndoom and Magcargo littered the area.

Leading the charge was a man with a familiar head of red hair. "Do it now," Maxie ordered his men in a raspy voice. "Camerupt, use Yawn!"

The Eruption Pokémon beside him opened its maw wide, releasing a number of pink bubbles at Groudon. Around the cavern, the echoes of Team Magma members ordering their Magcargo and Slugma to do the same resounded.

Ash saw red. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" he shouted.

The Electric-type complied eagerly, jumping from his shoulder and unleashing a torrent of electricity that destroyed a vast cloud of bubbles. "Chaaaa…" he whined, landing on his hind legs and immediately slumping over.

"Pikachu, what's wrong?!"

"Ash, it's the heat!" Brock called out. He had already jumped on the serpentine form of his Steelix, his Graveler rolling out towards a group of Team Magma grunts that had turned their way. "Not all Pokémon can stand being in the heart of a volcano!"

_Duh,_ he thought with a scowl. He was the one who touted the title of Island Expert; knowing the strengths and weaknesses of different types in different habitats was what he was supposed to be good at. It seemed that his anger at how Maxie and his minions were treating Groudon had shortsighted his common sense, a trait he thought he'd left behind in his youth. "Misty, take Pikachu back up the tunnel," he said.

"But –"

"Water Pokémon aren't gonna be good here, Mist," he snapped. Gentling his voice, he continued, "Please…take Pikachu out of here. Go back to the Lavaridge Pokémon Center…we'll meet you there." There was a moment's hesitation before the redhead took the proffered Mouse Pokémon, hugging him to her chest and then heading back up the way they'd came. "Wish I'd thought ahead a bit more," he muttered, mildly regretful of the haste and lack of preparedness he'd journeyed up and into Mt. Chimney with. "Torkoal, Charizard, come on out! Overheat!"

Upon their release, both Fire-types blasted out streams of white-hot flames that took out a number of Cacturne and Vibrava, but more Team Magma members filled the gap. Ash wasn't even sure how they'd all gotten into the cavern, let alone why so much of the criminal syndicate was still at-large.

"It's too late, Ketchum!" Maxie cackled. His arm moved in a pitching motion towards a now-asleep Groudon, and in a flash, the gigantic Legendary Pokémon was gone, the Pokéball containing it sailing back to Maxie's outstretched hand. "Disperse!" called out Team Magma's leader, opening a Pokéball to reveal the majestic form of a Flygon. As he climbed upon the Mystic Pokémon's back, the revving of engines echoed around the cavern; Ash looked around to see that most of Team Magma's grunts had jumped into jeeps that were spaced throughout the area.

Flygon zipped upwards toward the mouth of the volcano, and Ash scowled at the thought of another Legendary Pokémon being controlled by more people bent on evil intentions. "Charizard!" He recalled Torkoal and jumped on the Flame Pokémon's back as the fiery dragon glided forward. With a roar, Charizard took off after the Ground/Dragon hybrid, flapping his leathery wings to regain and increase his momentum.

Unfortunately, Charizard's bulk make him a slightly slower flyer than Flygon, and by the time trainer and Pokémon ascended to above Mt. Chimney, Maxie was already a speck in the distance. Ash cursed aloud at the loss of the Continent Pokémon, wiping sweat from his brow as he wondered what Team Magma's intention was.

He looked up, shielding his eyes from the intensity of the sun's rays. Groudon's expansion of the lands wasn't so much an increase in landmass as it was a decrease in the water level by drought and evaporation. Now that he was experiencing it, Ash guessed that Groudon's appearance simply created more intense and lasting conditions than the move Sunny Day; the same could be true of Kyogre and Rain Dance, as they'd witnessed on the sea routes south of Lilycove.

White clouds began to roll over Mt. Chimney, their purity creating a stark contrast to Ash's sour mood. The Frontier Brain released a heavy sigh, looking down into the mouth of the volcano and wondering how Brock was doing. Contrary to popular belief, the cable car that granted access to the summit of Mt. Chimney didn't lead to the mountain's actual opening, but a flat strip of land that enabled tourists to get the view they wanted. It was probably how Groudon had managed to remain hidden from view for so long, not to mention how the battle inside the volcano had gone unnoticed.

Squinting, the raven-haired trainer could barely make out a couple of people looking skyward and pointing up. A rumble from Charizard caused him to return his gaze to the sky, his mouth dropping in awe at the sight before him.

An emerald green, serpentine body twisted among the clouds, its immeasurable length marked by yellow lines connecting ovals together. Sections containing finned plates that jutted out like a turbine gave the creature a segmented look, its body ending in a pointed tail with angular fins. Spindly arms ending in three claws contrasted the Pokémon's snake-like appearance, long horns protruding from its head in a poor parody of a frill. Beady yellow eyes staring at Ash from within black sockets, the Pokémon's large maw opened to reveal a handful of sharp fangs.

Ash gulped in a mixture of fear and uncertainty. This was Rayquaza, the legendary Sky High Pokémon, the creature rumored to have ended the cataclysmic battle between Groudon and Kyogre millennia ago.

The two stared at each other for a long moment, each gauging the other. Ash was trying to decide whether or not he was supposed to challenge Rayquaza to a battle – it was a Legendary Pokémon, after all, and he was still questing to capture them – when the Sky High Pokémon released a bellowing shriek.

Ash was forced to cover his ears at the sound, and Charizard lost his midair equilibrium in his attempt to stick his claws in his own ears. "Charizard!" he shouted, opening his eyes to better assess the situation; at the moment, they were spiraling towards the center of Mt. Chimney. "You gotta work through this!" The Flame Pokémon's blue eyes snapped open, and he flared his wings to halt their descent. Then, with impressive aerial dexterity, he turned around so they were facing the serpentine Legendary.

Unfortunately, Rayquaza had already been in the process of charging up a Hyper Beam, and as the Fire/Flying hybrid righted himself and turned, the Sky High Pokémon launched its attack. Charizard took the assault to his belly, roaring in pain and returning to an out-of-control spiral towards the ground.

Reacting quickly, Ash reached around his belt and grabbed Swellow's Pokéball, summoning the Flying-type and grabbing onto his leg. The Swallow Pokémon released a squawk of surprise, but Ash only had the opportunity to murmur a brief apology as he grabbed Charizard's Pokéball and recalled the fiery dragon in a beam of light. He stared mournfully at his longtime friend's sphere, remembering the battle against Ho-oh, before telling Swellow, "Just make sure we don't crash."

The bird cawed in understanding, allowing them to descend at a brisk but slightly controlled pace. When they hit the ground minutes later, Ash felt his teeth clack together from the impact; he rubbed the soreness from his knees and graced Swellow with a slight smile. "Thanks, buddy. Can you find Brock and bring him here?" Swellow offered a departing caw before wheeling around and heading towards Mt. Chimney.

Ash looked skyward, unable to see Rayquaza, who was most likely hiding in or above the clouds; the serpentine creature wasn't renowned as the Sky High Pokémon for nothing. Still, Rayquaza's presence worried him.

Rayquaza was supposed to be a mediating presence, a means to keep the balance between the forces of land and sea – between Groudon and Kyogre. There was no doubt in the raven-haired trainer's mind now that he had glimpsed the Sky High Pokémon after Team Aqua had gotten away with Kyogre; the loss of the Sea Basin Pokémon was a sure disruption to the order of nature. And now, with Groudon in the hands of Team Magma, a balance had been reached, but only because it didn't _exist_; the lack of both Legendary Pokémon had left a void in Hoenn, one which had clearly upset Rayquaza.

Ash recalled Mewtwo's words when they had met on New Island, about the hierarchy of the Legendaries and their respective support…or, in Rayquaza's case, a lack thereof. If he was supposed to win over the Sky High Pokémon, allowing Groudon and Kyogre to be kidnapped was surely not the way to do it.

Not to mention that the Legendary Pokémon had just toasted his strongest Pokémon with one hit. Even considering that Charizard had been slightly disadvantaged, it probably wouldn't have made much of a difference; Rayquaza was clearly on a completely different level from Ho-oh, and the Rainbow Pokémon had bested Charizard at his prime.

He caught the barest flicker of a finned, green tail below the line of clouds, and then it was gone. There was a burst of wind and a shift in the clouds that seemed to indicate Rayquaza taking off for the south; Ash filed the information away for future reference before attempting to focus on what lay ahead.

-l-l-l-

Ash and Brock made it back to the Pokémon Center in Lavaridge Town almost an hour later. Misty stood inside the hospital's lobby with Pikachu lying on the cool tile at her feet. When the two men walked through the entrance, the Mouse Pokémon jumped towards his trainer with a cry, the redhead rushing to them alongside him. "Well?" she probed tentatively. Ash shook his head somberly, and Misty's expression immediately crumpled into one of guilt. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't've left, I should've helped –"

"There wasn't anything you could've done, Mist," Ash reassured her. "They were better prepared and had too much of a head start, and we just…weren't." He sighed, running a hand through messy black hair unsurely. "I just wish I knew what they wanted…but hey," he continued, offering her a grateful grin, "thanks for taking care of Pikachu." Misty nodded in acceptance, though she still looked troubled.

Brock broke the unsettling quiet. "So…what's our next move?"

Ash hummed thoughtfully. "Not sure," he frowned. "Based on everything that Team Rocket stole from the lab, their other targets are Dialga and Palkia, but they're all the way in Sinnoh, and I haven't finished the challenge in Hoenn yet. And they took info on Jirachi…not that I have _any_ idea where to find it…" He sighed. "I guess we can go to the desert on Route 111, follow up on that message Brandon sent me about some recently discovered ruins that are similar to where he found his Regice. It's the best idea _I've_ got, anyway." He scratched his head and turned to his red-haired companion. "What do you think, Mist?"

She visibly hesitated before responding. "Ash…I can't go with you anymore."

The Frontier Brain blinked. "…What?"

Brock tactfully chose to step away to give the couple some privacy. Misty took a deep breath, her expression carrying a mixture of sadness and resolution. "The gyms are going to reopen soon, Ash. The Pokémon League Summit is in a couple of weeks, and it'll take that long to get back and get ready for it."

"But…I don't want you to go," Ash admitted, and even as he words exited his mouth, he knew that they sounded _way_ too cheesy, even if they were true.

Misty smiled at him, reaching out for his hand and intertwining their fingers together. Ash looked down at them before returning his gaze to the redhead's face. "I appreciate that…but you have to finish your journey, and I have to go back and run the gym. Don't worry, I'm sure we'll see each other soon, okay? There's no way I'd let you go so easily after everything we've been through." Then she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, just as she had after their first date. "I'll miss you," she whispered in his ear.

"…Yeah," he replied quietly, "I'll miss you, too."

"Take care of him, Brock," she told the breeder, walking over to him and giving him a hug.

"Will do."

"Bye, guys."

Both men waved at her as she left the Pokémon Center, though Ash's motion was a bit more mechanical than Brock's. As he walked up to Nurse Joy and handed her his Pokémon for healing, Ash wondered what else wouldn't go according to plan, and what other trials lay ahead of him in Hoenn.

He could only hope that things would go much smoother in the future.

-l-l-l-

**Author's** **Note:** Funnily enough, Charizard and Flygon have the same base Speed stat, but for the sake of plot, pretend they don't. Also, I still won't promise an update schedule, but I _hope_ to be able to update every month to two months; trying to keep my other story on a consistent update pattern so I can finish it and move my attention back here. Please bear with me, and I'm so sorry for the ridiculous wait on this chapter. Hopefully it didn't disappoint.


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